A journey will I perform,
And to the gate I will come
The hall I will enter,
And my song I will sing;
My speech I will pronounce
To silence royal bards.
In presence of their chief,
I will greet to deride,
Upon them I will break
And Elphin I will free.
Should contention arise,
In presence of the prince,
With summons to the bards
For the sweet flowing song,
And wizards' posing lore
And wisdom of Druids.

Primary chief bard am I to Elphin,
And my original country is the region of the summer stars;
Idno and Heinin called me Merddin,
At length every king will call me Taliesin.

I am a storyteller. I bring the world to you, because I carry the world with me. Time does not bind me; space does not hinder me. My body may be twisted, but even my human form does not confine me. I fly as a bird, swim as a fish, run as a horse. Peasants and kings alike welcome me to their tables. I always have a story or a song to suit my spectators. Ask it of me, and I will give it to you. That is my place as a storyteller, a wandering bard.

Taliesin was King Arthur's favored bard. He traveled the land, moved easily across time and space, and is sometimes put together with Merlin as one character. His favored instrument was a small traditional harp which he could sling over his back. In many accounts of his appearance he is said to be deformed, with a twisted back. This deformity could have been merely the silhouette of the harp on his back, covered in a protective shroud.