Pwyll Pendefig Dyfed

[Blackbird]

OK:

I suggest that we divide the story up as follows:

1. Up to the point where Pwyll enters Arawn's court
2. His stay in Annwfn
3. Up to section two, about their friendship

4. The first encounters with Rhiannon
5. The visit to Hyfaidd the Old's court
6. The next years visit, up to the end of section two.

7. Start of section three, up to the point of Rhiannon's punishment
8. Up to the giving of the horse to Gwri
9. The return of Gwri - 'til the end.

Interesting how the story naturally breaks into three sections within three sections - as I've never sat down and broken it up like this before, it's never struck me until now

It might be a good idea to create new threads for each section, otherwise it will quickly be an immensely long and cumbersome thing... see how it goes after the first one.

[siaron]

I'll give it a shot. I think it's best to break it up into manageable chunks.

Since I seem to have the only Ford version, I'll use it:

Pwyll Pendefig Dyfed a oedd yn arglwydd ar seith cantref Dyfed. A threiglweith ydd oedd yn Arberth, prif lys iddaw, a dyfod yn ei fryd ac yn ei feddwl fyned i hela. Sef cyfeir o'i gyfoeth a fynnei ei hela, Glynn Cuch. Ac ef a gychwynnwys y nos honno o Arberth, ac a ddoeth hyd ym Mhenn Llwyn Diarwya, ac yno y bu y nos honno. A thrannoeth yn ieuenctid y dydd cyfodi a orug, a dyfod i Lynn Cuch i ellwng ei gwn dan y coed. A chanu ei gorn, a dechreu dygyfor yr hela, a cherdded yn ol y cwn, ac ymgolli a'i gydymdeithon. Ac fal y bydd yn ymwarandaw a llef yr erchwys, ef a glywei llef erchwys arall, ac nid oeddynt unllef, a hynny yn dyfod yn erbyn ei erchwys ef. Ac ef a welei lannerch yn y coed o faes gwastad; ac fal oedd ei erchwys ef yn ymgael ag ystlys y llannerch, ef a welei garw o flaen yr erchwys arall. A pharth a pherfedd y llannerch, llyma yr erchwys a oedd yn ol yn ymordiwes ag ef, ac yn ei fwrw i'r llawr.


Pwyll, Prince of Dyfed, was lord over the seven cantrefs of Dyfed. One time he was in Arberth, his principal court, and it came into his head to go hunting. The part of his realm he wished to hunt was called Glyn Cuch. He set out that night from Arberth, and came as far as Pen Llwyn Diarwya; there he stayed that night. The following day at dawn he rose, and came to Glyn Cuch to let his hounds loose in the woods. He sounded his horn, began to muster the hunt, and set off behind his dogs--but he got separated from his companions. As he was listening to the cry of his hunting-pack, he heard the cry of another, and they were not the same; the other was coming toward his own. He could see a clearing in the woods, a kind of level field, and as his own pack reached the edge of the cleraring, he could see a stag in front of the other. Toward the middle of the clearing, the pack chasing the stag overtook it and bore it to the ground.

Ac yna edrych ohonaw ef ar liw yr erchwys, heb hanbwyllaw edrych ar y carw. Ac o'r a welsei ef o helgwn y byd, ni welsei cwn unlliw ag wynt. Sef lliw oedd arnunt, claerwyn llathreidd, ac eu clusteu yn gochion. Ac fal y llathrei wynned y cwn, y llathrei coched y clusteu. Ac ar hynny at y cwn y doeth ef, a gyrru yrerchwys a laddyssei y carw i ymdeith, a llithiaw ei erchwys ei hunan ar y carw.

Ac fal y bydd yn llithiaw y cwn, ef a welei farchawg yn dyfod yn ol yr erchwys i ar farch erchlas mawr; a chorn canu am ei fwnwgl, a gwisg o frethyn llwydlei amdanaw yn wisg hela. Ac ar hynny y marchawg a ddoeth attaw ef, a dywedud fal hynn wrthaw,

"A unben", heb ef, "mi a wnn pwy wyt ti, ac ni chyfarchaf i well it."

"Ie', heb ef, "ac atfydd y mae arnat o anrydedd fal na's dylyei."

"Dioer", heb ef, "nid teilyngdawd fy anrydedd a'm hetteil am hynny."

"A unben", heb ynteu, "beth amgen?"

"Yrof i a Duw", heb ynteu, "dy anwybod dy hun a'th ansyberwyd."

"Pa ansyberwyd, unben, a weleist ti arnaf i?"

"Ni weleis ansyberwyd fwy ar wr", heb ef, "no gyrru yr erchwys a laddyssei y carw i ymdeith, a llithiaw dy
erchwys dy hun arnaw. Hynny", heb ef, "ansyberwyd oedd: a chynn nid ymddialwyf a thi, yrof i a Duw", heb ef, "mi a wnaf o anglod it gwerth cann carw."

"A unben", heb ef, "o gwneuthum gam, mi a brynaf dy gerennydd."

"Pa ddelw", heb ynteu, "y pryny di?"

"Wrth fal y bo dy anrydedd, ac ni wnn i pwy wyt ti."

"Brenin corunawg wyf i yn y wlad ydd hanwyf oheni."

"Arglwydd", heb ynteu, "dydd da it; a pha wlad ydd
hanwyt titheu oheni?"

"O Annwfn", heb ynteu. "Arawn frenin Annwfn wyf i."

"Arglwydd", heb ynteu, "pa ffurf y caf i dy gerennydd
di?"

"Llyma wedd y ceffy", heb ynteu. "Gwr yssydd gyferbyn ei gyfoeth a'm cyfoeth inneu yn rhyfelu arnaf yn wastat. Sef yw hwnnw, Hafgan frenin o Annwfn. Ac er gwared gormes hwnnw i arnaf (a hynny a elly yn hawdd) y ceffy fy ngherennydd."

"Minneu a wnaf hynny", heb ynteu, "yn llawen. A manag ditheu imi pa ffurf y gallwyf hynny."

"Managaf", heb ynteu. "Llyma fal y gelly. Mi a wnaf a thi gydymdeithas gadarn. Sef fal y gwnaf. Mi a'th roddaf di i'm lle i yn Annwfn, ac a roddaf y wreig decaf a weleist eiroed i gyscu gyda thi beunoeth, a'm pryd inneu a'm hansawdd arnat ti, hyd na bo na gwas ystafell, na swyddawg, na dyn arall o'r a'm canlynwys i eiroed, a wypo na bo mifi fych ti. A hynny", heb ef, "hyd ym mhenn y flwyddyn o'r dydd afory. A'n cynnadl yna yn y lle honn."

"Ie", heb ynteu, "cyd bwyf i yno hyd ym mhenn y flwyddyn, pa gyfarwydd a fydd imi o ymgael a'r gwr a
ddywedy di?"

"Blwyddyn", heb ef, "i heno, y mae oed yrof i ag ef, ar y ryd. A bydd di i'm rhith yno", heb ef. "Ac un dyrnawd a roddych di iddaw ef; ni bydd byw ef o hwnnw. A chyd archo ef iti rhoddi yr eil, na dyro, er a ymbilio a thi. Er a roddwn i iddaw ef hagen, cystal a chynt ydd ymladdei a mi drannoeth."

"Ie", heb y Pwyll, "beth a wnaf i i'm cyfoeth?"

"Mi a baraf", heb yr Arawn, "na bo i'th gyfoeth na gwr na gwreig a wypo na bo tidi fwyf i. A mifi a af i'th le di."

"Yn llawen", heb y Pwyll, "a mifi a af rhagof."

"Dilesteir fydd dy hynt ac ni rusia dim rhagot, yny ddelych i'm cyfoeth i: a mi a fyddaf hebryngiad arnat."

Ef a'e hebryngawdd yny welas y llys a'r cyfannedd.

"Llyna", heb ef, "y llys a'r cyfoeth i'th feddiant. A chyrch y llys. Nid oes ynddi neb ni'th adnapo; ac wrth fal y gwelych y gwasanaeth ynddi, ydd adnabyddy foes y llys."

[siaron]

He looked at the color of the hounds, not bothering to look at the stag, and of all the hunting dogs he had seen in the world, he had never seen dogs the color of them. Glittering bright white was their color, and their ears red: the redness of the ears glittered as brightly as the whiteness of their bodies. Thereupon, he came to the dogs and drove off the pack that had killed the stag, feeding his own pack on it.

As he was feeding the dogs, he saw a horeseman coming up behind the pack on a large dapple-gray horse, a hunting horn about his neck, wearing a pale grey garment for hunting gear. Thereupon, the horseman came to him, saying as follows:

"Chieftain," he said, "I know who you are, but I will not greet you."

"Well," said the other, "perhaps your rank does not require it."

"God knows!" he exclaimed, "it is not the obligation of my rank that prevents me."

"What else, Chieftain?" asked the other.

"I swear to God," he said, "your own ignorance and your discourtesy."

"What discourtesy have you seen in me, Chieftain?"

"No greater discourtesy have I seen in a man," he replied, "than driving off the pack that killed the stag, and feeding your own pack on it; that," he continued, "was discourtesy. And though I shall not take revenge on upon you, I swear to God," he said, "I was have you satirized to the value of a hundred stags."

"Chieftain," he said, "if I have committed a wrong, I will sue for peace with you."

"On what terms?" asked the other.

"Such as your rank may require, but I don't know who you are."

"I am a crowned king in the land from which I hail."

"Lord," he said, "good-day to you! What land do you come from?"

"Annwfn," he replied. "I am Arawn, King of Annwfn."

"Lord," he said, "how shall I gain peace with you?"

"Here is how you shall gain it," he began. "A man whose realm borders on mine and makes war on me continually. He is Hagfan, a king of Annwfn. For delivering me from his oppression--and you can do that easily--you will have peace with me."

"I will do that gladly," he replied, "tell me how I can accomplish it."

"All right," he said, "here is how you shall do it. I will form a strong bond with you in this way: I will put you in my place in Annfwn, and give you the fairest woman you have ever seen to sleep with every night. You will have my shape and manner, so that neither chamberlain, nor officer, nor any other who has ever followed me shall know that you are not I. And that until the end of a year from tomorrow, when we meet in this place."

"Well," he said, "though I be there until the end of the year, what information will I have to find the man of whom you speak?"

"He and I are due to meet a year from tonight at the ford," he explained, "and you will be there in my place. Give him but a single blow; he will not survive that. And though he may beg you to strike again, don't --however he may plead with you. NO matter how manhy more I would give him, he would attack me the next day as well as before."

"Well," said Pwyll, "what shall I do with my kingdom?"

"I will arrange that no man or woman in your realm shall know that I am not you," said Arawn, "I will go in your place."

"Gladly," said Pwyll; "I will set forth."

"Your path will be smooth and nothing will obstruct you until you come to my realm; I will be your guide."

He escorted him until he saw the court and dwellings.

"There," he said, "is the court and the realm in your power. Approach the court; there is none in it that shall not know you. And as you observe the practices there, you will come to know the court's customs."

###

[goldenhand]

Is that the Middle Welsh version you've used there? I'll have a scan through the Jones version later and see if there are any significant differences.

I do think this is a really good idea, but it's not the kind of thing I can rattle off in five minutes, I need some time to sit down with it So please forgive me for being tardy ;D

[siaron]

Annwyl Goldenhand,

I originally queried this on the website submission page under the 'Black Book' heading, and posted the link to the middle Welsh version of 'Pwyll', which you can find here:

canol.home.att.net/chap28.html

This is going to be a lengthy process to be sure. I just thought I'd get the ball rolling, and since I'm the only one with the Ford version I thought I'd post it.

By all means, jump in whenever you like! As soon as we get a couple of translated versions of the same up we can start dissecting ;D.

Pob Bendith,

Siaron

[goldenhand]

OK, looking at the Jones version, the first thing that strikes me is that it is almost identical word for word with the Ford version.

I've started from the bit where Arawn's hounds appear, as the initial bit is so similar.

"... And then he looked at the colour of the pack, without troubling to look at the stag; and of all the hounds he had seen in the world, he had seen no dogs the same colour as these. The colour that was on them was a brilliant shining white, and their ears red; and as the exceeding whiteness of the dogs glittered, so glittered the exeeding redness of their ears. And with that, he came to the dogs, and drove away the pack that had killed the stag, and baited his own pack upon the stag.

And while he was baiting his dogs he could see a horseman coming after the pack on a big dapple-grey steed, with a hunting horn around his neck, and a garment of brownish-grey stuff around him by way of a hunting garb.

And thereupon the horseman drew near him and spoke to him thus:

'Chieftain', said he, 'I know who thou art, but I will not greet thee."

"Why," said he, "perhaps thy dignity is such that it should not do so."

"Faith," said he, "it is not the degree of my dignity that keeps me therefrom."

"Chieftain," he replied, "What else then?"

"Between me and God," said he, "thine own ignorance and discourtesy."

"What discourtesy, chieftain, hast thou seen in me?"

"Greater discourtesy I have not seen in a man," said he, "then to drive away the pack that killed the stag and to bait thine own pack upon it. That," said he, "was discourtesy, and though I will not take vengeance upon thee, between me and God," said he, "I will do thee dishonour to the value of a hundred stags."

"Chieftain," said he, "If I have done thee wrong, I will redeem thy friendship."

"How," he replied, "Will you redeem it?"

"According as thy dignity may be; but I know not who thou art."

"A crowned king am I in the land whence I come."

"Lord," he replied, "good day to thee, and from what land is it thou comest?"

"From Annwn" (footnote says 'Annwn (or Annwfn): the Celtic Hades.) answered he, "Arawn king of Annwn am I."

"Lord," said he, "how shall I win thy friendship?"

"This is how thou shalt," he replied. "There is a man whose domain is opposite to mine for ever warring against me. That is King Hafgan, from Annwn; and by ridding me of his oppression, and that thou easily mayest, shall win my friendship."

"That will I do," said he, "Gladly. But show me how I may do it."

"I will," said he. "This is how thou mayest. I wil make with thee a strong bond of friendship. This is how I will do it: I will set thee in Annwn in my stead, and the fairest lady you ever did see I will set to sleep with thee each night, and my form and semblance upon thee, so that there shall not be a chamberlain, nor an officer, nor any other man that has ever followed me shall know that thou art not I. And that," said he, "Til the end of a year from tomorrow, and our tryst then in this very place."

"Aye," he replied, "Though I be there till the end of the year, what guidance shall I have to find the man thou tellest of?"

"A year from tonight," said he, "There is a tryst between him and me, at the ford. And be thou there in my likeness," said he. "And one blow only thou art to give him; that he will not survive. And though he ask thee to give him another, give it not, however he entreat thee. For despite aught I might give him, as well as before would he fight with me on the morrow."

"Aye," said Pwyll, "What shall I do with my kingdom?"

"I will bring it about," said Arawn, "That there shall be neither man nor woman in thy kingdom shall know that I am not thou; and I shall go in thy stead."

"Gladly," said Pwyll, "And I shall be on my way."

"Without let shall be thy path, and nothing shall impede thee till thou arrive in my domain, and I myself will bring thee on thy way."

He brought him on his way til he saw the court and the dwellings.

"There," he said, "the court and kingdom in thy power. And make for the court. There is none within that will not know thee, and as thou seest the service therein thou wilt know the useage of the court."

[nantonos]

www.mabinogi.net/pwyll.htm

no sense pasting it when its online already. This is the Will Parker translation. See www.mabinogi.net/translations.htm