Mythology, Celtic -- Wales; Tales -- Wales; Welsh literature -- 1100-1400 -- Translations into English
When Kicva the daughter of Gwynn Gloew saw that there was no one in the
palace but herself and Manawyddan, she sorrowed so that she cared not
whether she lived or died. And Manawyddan saw this. "Thou art in the
wrong," said he, "if through fear of me thou grievest thus. I call
Heaven to witness that thou hast never seen friendship more pure than
that which I will bear thee, as long as Heaven will that thou shouldst be
thus. I declare to thee that were I in the dawn of youth I would keep my
faith unto Pryderi, and unto thee also will I keep it. Be there no fear
upon thee, therefore," said he, "for Heaven is my witness that thou shall
meet with all the friendship thou canst wish, and that it is in my power
to show thee, as long as it shall please Heaven to continue us in this
grief and woe." "Heaven reward thee," she said, "and that is what I
deemed of thee." And the damsel thereupon took courage and was glad.
"Truly, lady," said Manawyddan, "it is not fitting for us to stay here,
we have lost our dogs, and we cannot get food. Let us go into England;
it is easiest for us to find support there." "Gladly, lord," said she,
"we will do so." And they set forth together to England.
"Lord," said she, "What craft wilt thou follow? Take up one that is
seemly." "None other will I take," answered he, "save that of making
shoes, as I did formerly." "Lord," said she, "such a craft becomes not a
man so nobly born as thou." "By that however will I abide," said he.
So he began his craft, and he made all his work of the finest leather he
could get in the town, and, as he had done at the other place, he caused
gilded clasps to be made for the shoes. {71} And except himself all the
cordwainers in the town were idle, and without work. For as long as they
could be had from him, neither shoes nor hose were bought elsewhere. And
thus they tarried there a year, until the cordwainers became envious, and
took counsel concerning him. And he had warning thereof, and it was told
him how the cordwainers had agreed together to slay him.
"Lord," said Kicva, "Wherefore should this be borne from these boors?"
"Nay," said he, "we will go back unto Dyved." So towards Dyved they set
forth.
Now Manawyddan, when he set out to return to Dyved, took with him a
burden of wheat. And he proceeded towards Narberth, and there he dwelt.
And never was he better pleased than when he saw Narberth again, and the
lands where he had been wont to hunt with Pryderi and with Rhiannon. And
he accustomed himself to fish, and to hunt the deer in their covert. And
then he began to prepare some ground and he sowed a croft, and a second,
and a third. And no wheat in the world ever sprung up better. And the
three crofts prospered with perfect growth, and no man ever saw fairer
wheat than it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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