A Girl taunts him for his Cowardice
Modest maid, lovely slender lady,
dark-browed, adorned with gold and jewels,
consider, Eigr, store of counting stones,
4 beneath your golden hair, whether there is any payment coming to me
(firm reproach in a clear voice)
face like a jewel, for what I sang
to your bright colour, brilliant language,
8 and to your fine form, eight times brighter than the colour of gossamer.
'I will forsake you for a long time, Dafydd.
Love is deranged. You are taunted
with being too cowardly, disciplined reputation,
12 well aware of hinderances.
None but the bravest shall have me,
with God's protection, you're a strange one.'
'You with the hood of fine hair the colour of gossamer,
16 you do me wrong, chopsy girl.
Although I'm a cowardly lad in battle,
tender and refined, unprotected breast,
I'm no coward at the work of Ovid's book
20 where the trees are green and fresh.
And also, likeness of Eigr,
remember, fitting reward,
provoking pain, that it is never wise to love
24 a brave lad, and it was grim torment,
lest the warrior should be too cruel,
not a nice thing to acknowledge.
He will be wild-natured and too savage.
28 He will love war and conflict.
If he hears, strict conscription,
that there is battle in France or Scotland,
a challenge for a mighty man,
32 he'll head straight off there to enlist in the ranks.
Should he escape and come back
from there, he can bridle Frenchmen,
he'll be scarred, an archer will leave his mark on him,
36 and bloody, you fine bright girl.
He'll have more affection for his heavy spear
And his sword (woe who puts faith in him)
and mail coat and dark shield
40 and war horse than for a pretty girl.
He won't protect you when cry of anguish comes,
he won't take you from your home except by force.
I on the other hand with my eloquent words,
44 were I to win you, colour of shining bright gossamer,
I could protect you forever,
I'd produce true praise, come girl.
Were I to gain two kingdoms
48 by firm possession, you of Deifr's colour,
twice as bright as the sun and eight times brighter than day,
they wouldn't make me go from your fine house.'