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Pwyll, Pendefic Dyfet, a oed yn arglwyd ar saith cantref Dyfet.
"Pendefic" is "prince," and we see how the "d,f" in "Pendefic" is picked up in the "D,f" of "Dyfed." This is inevitably lost in translation, but the original produces a romantic poetic effect from the outset. The same thing happens even in the translated title of a story. "The Lady at the Well" renders the Welsh "Iarlles y Ffynnon," but the words "Iarlles" and "Ffynnon" both have two syllables, the accent falling on the penultimate one, so producing a rhythmic effect; further, the "ll" (a single consonant in Welsh) is even capable, in this context, of an onomatopaeic reminder of flowing water. Of course, the translator will be the first to admit all this, but my point is that the extent of the contrast between translation and original will not be evident from what she says about the aim and ambition of this particular translation.
There is a second reservation. In an earlier translation of The Mabinogion, the translators remarked: "Any one translating from Welsh into English literally is confronted with the difficulty that arises from the differences in the structures of the two languages. It is much easier to render literary Welsh into literary English than it is to do so into literal English." [5] This is certainly the case and probably conveys a more general truth as regards translation even into a language which is not so structurally different from the original. It is always desirable to translate into literary English, as best one can, writing whose distinction is precisely literary. True, The Mabinogion is not just of interest strictly as literature; the stories as stories, together with the historical, political and cultural significance of the writing, command attention. Sioned Davies' ambition is entirely worthy: to convey the tales from the standpoint of orality and performance. Nevertheless, in executing this task, the original literary power has to be conveyed, as far as is possible. And here, however archaic some other translations; however inferior from the standpoint of scholarly information about the texts; however indulgent in their rendering, they occasionally read better in the English than this translation. [6]
Sometimes the English is awkward:
"Oh," she said, "then what kind of uprising was it?"
"An uprising to break your fate on your son," he said.
A comparison with other translations and with a fine version in modern Welsh indicates that the translator's decision here is between something like "to avert the fate (or destiny) which you have sworn on your son" and "to break the curse on your son." An alternative translation to the one Sioned Davies offers, even one that was slightly controversial, would have served better than "break your fate on your son."
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