The Celtic Literature Collective

The Plagues of Egypt
The Book of Taliesin XXII
From The Four Ancient Books of Wales

THE Hebrews took upon the sons of Israel,
High in mind,
A joint number in succession.
They approached.
God kept vengeance
On the people of Pharaonus.
Ten plagues paining
Before their being drowned
In the bottomless sea.
The first plague, fish destroying
With unusual cold.
The second plague, frogs abundant,
They filled the rivers,
The houses and furniture,
And couches,
And closets of meat.
The third, gnats,
Bold and sharp, were arranged.
The fourth, a sharp watery humour
Strikes in the manner of winged insects.
Next were devoured
The fruits of the trees arid the field
By a crop of flies.
The fifth, murrain.
On all the children
Of the Egyptians,
Animals were destroyed.
With a heavy disease
They were all smitten.
The sixth, without deceit,
Sweating imposthumes,
The scars of ants.
The seventh, thunder,
Hail and fire,
And rain destructive.
Wind blasting the tops,
On leaves and shrubs.
The eighth, locusts,
Broad their ears,
Devouring flowers.
The ninth, prodigious
To be spoken of, terrible,
Like waves floating
Black darkness.
With a countenance gloomy.
Tenth, in the night
The greatest affliction
On the people of the tribes,
Christ Jesus, Christians, are prostrate
Until they are in shelter.
The six hundred warriors
Of the Hebrew soldiers.