As the great objects of creation,
like the sun and moon, the planetary world and stars first attract the
attention of man and always enlist his deepest feelings, so they furnish
the great themes for the poetry of all nations, more especially in its
ruder stages. The Welsh poet is no exception to the rule. On the
contrary, he indulges in the highest flights of imagination, and borrows
the grandest imagery and choicest description to set forth the Most High
and his wonderful works. No translation can convey to the English reader
the interest and effect which this class of poetry has and produces upon
the Welsh mind, simply because their trains of thought are so entirely
different. The power and expressiveness of the Welsh language, which
cannot be transferred into any English words, also add materially to the
effect of this class of poetry upon the native mind. The Cymric is
unquestionably an original language, and possesses a force and expression
entirely unknown to any of the derivative tongues. The finer parts of
scripture, as the Book of Job and the Psalms, are immeasurably more
impressive in the Welsh than English language.
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