day that a
man who gives great support to another is his back bone.

"Caletach wrth elyn nog asgwrn."

Harder to an enemy than a bone. (Elegy on Cunedda.)

{185a} Or, "whilst the foes range the sea."

{185b} Lit. "It was his characteristic or property."

{185c} "Naw rhiallu;" the literal amount of this force would be 900,000;
"naw," however, may have here the meaning of "nawv," _floating_; "naw
rhiallu," a fleet.

{185d} "Gorddinau;" from "gorddin," what impels or drives forward; or
the word may mean _tribes_, from "cordd"; and then the passage would be:

"In the face of blood, of the country, and of the tribes."

{185e} Cynddilig was introduced to our notice before, (line 645) as a
person who loved the world in company with the melody-seeking Eidol.

{186a} Or, "as the alternative."

{186b} That this is a proper name, appears from the following passage in
Taliesin's "Canu y Cwrw;"--

"Ev cyrch cerddorion
Se syberw Seon
Neu'r dierveis i rin
Ymordei Uffin
Ymhoroedd Gododin."

{186c} Or, "who caused the stream of blood."

{186d} Gwenddoleu ap Ceidiaw is recorded in the Triads as the head of
one of the three "teulu diwair," or faithful tribes of the Isle of
Britain, because his men maintained the war for six weeks after he was
slain in the battle of Arderydd, A.D. 577. He is also joined with Cynvar
and Urien, under the title of the three "tarw cad" or bulls of battle, on
account of their impetuosity in rushing upon the enemy.

{187a} "Pen o draed;" from head to foot. Not, as Davies translates it,
"from the highest to the lowest," as is evident from a similar phrase in
Cynddelw, (Myv. Arch. vol. i. p. 220.)

"Yd kwytynt pennawr penn o draed;"

where the word "pennawr" refers to one particular rank, if not to an
individual.

{187b} See line 344.

{187c} See line 324.

{187d} See line 335.

{187e} Lit. "after their conflict."

{188a} "Tra;" "whilst the gory pool continued to fill."

{188b} "Erchyn;" al. "echyn," "and slew them like a hero; they were not
saved."

{188c} Or, "he darted with the spear," or, "they were prostrated with
the spear."

{188d} "A medd," with the mead. He abandoned the social banquet, or a
life of luxury, at the call of public duty.

{188e} Al. "Is there a place where the people do not relate the
greatness of his counsel?"

{188f} "Bwylliadau," (i.e. bwyelliadau) the strokes of his battle-axe.
Another versi