"I praise the Lord, the Sovereign of the royal realm, Who has extended his sway over the tract of the world"
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Taliesin’s words evoke a dimension of reverence and cosmic order that was central to early medieval Celtic and Christian thought. The phrase "I praise the Lord, the Sovereign of the royal realm" sets a tone of deep veneration, acknowledging a supreme being whose authority is not only transcendent but regal. Taliesin, considered both bard and mystic, chooses language that situates the divine at the pinnacle of hierarchy, the "royal realm" suggesting not only a kingdom of heaven but a mystical, all-encompassing dominion.
The passage ascribes to the Lord a dominion that extends beyond local boundaries or the affairs of men, "Who has extended his sway over the tract of the world". Here, "sway" connotes a gentle yet absolute power, an unopposed influence that is pervasive and all-governing. The "tract of the world" spans both physical territory and perhaps the very fabric of existence: land, sea, sky, and the unknown reaches beyond. This universalism reflects a monotheistic worldview that had begun to deeply permeate the poetic consciousness of Taliesin’s era, blending the residual grandeur of earlier mythic cosmologies with the nascent power of Christian doctrine.
The act of praise is both personal devotion and a public literary gesture. The bard assumes the role of intermediary, articulating awe and gratitude on behalf of himself and his audience. The Lord is not merely a distant controller but the living Ens, the orchestrator behind all visible and invisible reality. The language of sovereignty, "Sovereign of the royal realm", reminds listeners of the sacred order underpinning society and nature, urging reflection on justice, stewardship, and the lawful unfolding of fate.
Taliesin’s words, shrouded in the poetic grandeur of his epoch, serve to anchor the listener in a universe governed by divine wisdom and power, establishing both humility and hope in a world intricately bound to the will of its Sovereign.
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