My hope is in a bishop,^{1 According to tradition Nicholas was bishop of Myra in Lycia (south-west Turkey today).}
and in almighty God and his never-ending miracles.
Generous Saint Nicholas holds an office,
there is a gold symbol in his sign.^{2 One of Nicholas’s symbols was three bags of gold which were the dowry he provided for three girls to save them from becoming prostitutes (ll. 11–20).}
5Mount Nicholas is a snug dwelling place,
and there he performed his penance,^{3 According to Orthodox Church tradition, Nicholas went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and lived with monks in a cave on a mountain overlooking Bethlehem, on the site of an Orthodox church dedicated to Nicholas in present-day Beit Jala.}
and he preached to all the world for a time
pure and godly faith,
to the men of the mountain and their district
10in the manner of great Verona.^{4 Ferwna This is perhaps Verona in northern Italy, but it is not clear why that town is referred to here.}

The first miracle which he performed there
as a kind deed of the tender humble flesh:
there were three Christian daughters^{5 This is one of Nicholas’s most famous miracles. A man sought to force his three daughters to become prostitutes, because he was too poor to be able to afford the dowry necessary for them to marry, and Nicholas secretly gave him three bags of gold to enable the girls to marry. See Jones 1978: 53–8.}
of a woman by her husband long ago;
15there he was a healthy man,
they were poor and he was even poorer,
and the father asked the three young girls
to become prostitutes there,
and the grace of Saint Nicholas and his protection
20kept them from sin as virgins.
From his wise capacity Nicholas performed
a miracle for another person which was worth gold:
there was a woman lamenting,
and she had one living son;^{6 This miracle is not noted in the Legenda Aurea nor in the Welsh Life, but it was a well-known story about a mother who had gone to the installation of Nicholas as bishop, leaving her son in a cauldron of water on the fire, see Jones 1978: 231.}
25she herself put her son
in a cauldron of water on the fire,
and the woman went to bright Nicholas
to seek his grace;
the cauldron into which her son was put
30was brought to the boil,
and the little boy
came out alive and purified.
There were three schoolboys like three antlers of a stag,^{7 This story was also very popular in the Middle Ages, although it is not mentioned in the Legenda Aurea nor in the Welsh Life. A butcher has killed three students (or children in other versions) intending to make meat from their bodies, and they were brought back to life by Nicholas; see Jones 1978: 247–51.}
and one bad weak butcher
35killed them with a steel-coloured blade
and hid them away as pure pork for himself;
Nicholas after this trouble
brought the heavenly swans back to life,
and grace was given through the free cross
40to the ugly woman and to the butcher.
Nicholas, pre-eminent of festivals,
performed another miracle when he was younger:
in the afternoon he would fast
sweetly in his cradle;
45when he was a little baby
his dear mother’s breast would go into his mouth
only once on a Friday,^{8 It is claimed in the Legenda Aurea that Nicholas used to fast as a baby by taking the breast once only on Wednesdays and Fridays; according to the Welsh Life he did the same on Saturdays as well. See Jones 1978: 50–1.}
nor on Wednesday . . .

In praise I name Nicholas
50saintly Saint Nicholas.
Together with God he was one guardian
on dry land and on the seas.^{9 There are several stories about Nicholas saving the lives of people in trouble at sea, and he was the patron saint of sailors, see Jones 1978: 24–8.}
It was needful for the soul
to beseech Saint Nicholas for grace.
55If I receive the grace of Saint Nicholas
I will be amongst the saved on Judgement Day.
Saint Nicholas will not leave behind
the humble soul of any godly person.
After my death
60may Saint Nicholas take my soul too.

Mae fy ngobaith mewn esgob,
ac yn Nuw mawr a’i wyrthiau parhaus.
Sain Nicolas hael sy’n cael swydd,
symbol aur sydd yn ei arwydd.
5Mynydd Nicolas, mae’n dŷ clyd,
ac yno y bu yn ei benyd,
a phregethu y bu i’r byd am gyfnod
ffydd bur, ffydd dduwiol,
i wŷr y mynydd a’u hardal
10yn null Verona fawr.

Y wyrth gyntaf a wnaeth yno
yn waith caredig o’r cnawd tyner gwylaidd:
tair merch Gristnogol gynt
a oedd i wraig gan ŵr;
15yno yr oedd hwnnw’n ŵr iach,
hwythau’n dlawd, ac yntau’n dlotach,
a’r tad a ofynnodd i’r tair merch ifanc
droi’n buteiniaid draw,
a gras Sain Nicolas a’i nawdd
20a’u cadwodd rhag pechod yn wyryfon.
Gwnaeth Nicolas o’r helaethrwydd doeth
wyrth dros rywun arall a oedd yn werth aur:
roedd gwraig a oedd yn cwyno,
ac roedd ganddi un mab yn fyw;
25rhoddodd y wraig ei mab ei hun
mewn pair o ddŵr ar y tân,
ac aeth y wraig at Nicolas disglair
i geisio cael ei ras;
cynheswyd y pair lle’r aeth ei mab hi
30nes bod y dŵr yn berwi,
a daeth y mab bychan allan
yn fyw iach ac yn burach.
Roedd tri bachgen ysgol fel tair osgl hydd,
ac un cigydd drwg a gwan
35a’u lladdodd ag arf o liw dur
a’u cuddio’n gig pur iddo’i hun;
ar ôl yr helynt hwn gwnaeth Niclas
yr eleirch duwiol yn fyw eto,
a rhoddwyd gras drwy’r groes rydd
40i’r wraig hyll ac i’r cigydd.
Gwnaeth Nicolas, pennaeth y gwyliau,
wyrth arall pan oedd yn iau:
byddai’n ymprydio yn ystod y prynhawn
yn ei grud yn annwyl;
45ac yntau’n faban bach,
ni fyddai bron ei fam bêr yn mynd yn ei geg
ond unwaith ar ddydd Gwener,
na chwaith ddydd Mercher . . .

Mi a alwaf â moliant
50Nicolas yn Sain Niclas sanctaidd.
Ceidwad oedd gyda’r un Duw
ar dir mawr ac ar y moroedd.
Rhaid oedd i’r enaid
ymbil ar Sain Nicolas am ras.
55Os caf ras Sain Nicolas
byddaf yn gadwedig ar Ddydd y Farn.
Ni fydd i Sain Nicolas adael ar ôl
yr un enaid gostyngedig a duwiol.
Boed i Sain Nicolas
60ddwyn fy enaid innau wedi fy marwolaeth.