Gareth Alban Davies
Encyclopedia
Gareth Alban Davies was a Welsh
poet, educator and Hispanist
who spent the largest span of his academic career lecturing at the University of Leeds
. Davies translated many Spanish texts into English and Welsh, and was a noted expert on the works of Fernando Arrabal
and Federico García Lorca
.
Davies was born in Ton Pentre
in the Rhondda
in 1926. His father was the Rev'd T. Alban Davies, a Congregationalist
preacher who practised at Bethesda Church in Ton Pentre. His father was a Welsh speaker
and an early member of Plaid Cymru
, the Nationalist political party of Wales. His father was a large influence on Davies' morale viewpoint, and instilled in him a nationalistic and egalitarian
ethos. While still a schoolboy, Davies was introduced to the Cadwgan Circle, a group of writers and thinkers from the Rhondda, who met at the house of J. Gwyn Griffiths
and his wife Käte Bosse-Griffiths
. Although the youngest of the group, he contributed to an anthology published by the movement, and used his time with the group to discuss the French and Spanish literature he was studying at Porth
Grammar School.
At the age of 18, and with Britain still at war, Davies was conscripted as a Bevin Boy, which saw him working as a coal miner rather than serve active military duty. He continued his studies during this period, relying on discounted books from London's foremost specialised antiquarian book-seller of Catalan
and Castilian language, Joan Gili
. Despite his educated background, and his chaste values of refraining from smoking, drinking and womanising; in sharp contrast to many of his collier work-mates, Davies enjoyed his three years spent as a coal miner; believing it brought him closer to the working-class man of the Rhondda. In 1948 Davies was released from service in the coal mines, and won a scholarship to Queens College, Oxford. At Oxford he studied Romance Languages and received a first degree, after which he was appointed to a lectureship at the University of Leeds in Spanish and Portuguese. In 1953, whilst in Leeds he married Catherine Glyn Jones; who like Davies was originally from the Rhondda and was also a linguist. Davies settled in Leeds, near Otley
, and he and Caryl had four children. Although the couple spent thirty years in Yorkshire, they kept a strong connection to Welsh culture and taught all their children to speak Welsh.
In 1955 he was promoted to the post of lecturer at the University of Leeds, and in 1968 was made a senior lecturer. During his time at Leeds he spent visiting appointments at the University of Cardiff in Wales, Dartmouth College
in the United States and at Australian National University
in Canberra. In 1975 he was made head of the Department of Spanish and Portuguese Languages, holding the post until 1983. He retired in 1986 and moved back to Wales, settling in Llangwyryfon
in Ceredigion. He died in Aberystwyth
in 2009, having survived Caryl who died in 2007.
of Spanish poetry, but was also interested in nineteenth century Spanish literature, the Spanish songbooks of the German Romantics
and other Spanish and Argentine works, having himself visited Welsh Patagonia. As a translator, Davies found the works of fellow countryman David Rowland
of interest. Rowland had translated the anonymous Spanish text, 'La vida de Lazarillo de Tormes y de sus fortunas y adversidades' in 1586, and Davies edited a 1991 version published by Gregynog Press
.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
poet, educator and Hispanist
Hispanist
A Hispanist is a scholar specialising in Hispanic studies, that is Spanish or Portuguese language, literature, linguistics, or civilization, and by extension, Basque, Catalan and Galician....
who spent the largest span of his academic career lecturing at the University of Leeds
University of Leeds
The University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
. Davies translated many Spanish texts into English and Welsh, and was a noted expert on the works of Fernando Arrabal
Fernando Arrabal
Fernando Arrabal Terán is a Spanish playwright, screenwriter, film director, novelist and poet. He settled in France in 1955, he describes himself as “desterrado,” or “half-expatriate, half-exiled.”...
and Federico García Lorca
Federico García Lorca
Federico del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús García Lorca was a Spanish poet, dramatist and theatre director. García Lorca achieved international recognition as an emblematic member of the Generation of '27. He is believed to be one of thousands who were summarily shot by anti-communist death squads...
.
Life history
Ton Pentre
Ton Pentre is a village in the Rhondda Valley in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. Ton Pentre, a former industrial coal mining village, is a district of the community of Pentre. The old district of Ystradyfodwg was named after the church at Ton Pentre...
in the Rhondda
Rhondda
Rhondda , or the Rhondda Valley , is a former coal mining valley in Wales, formerly a local government district, consisting of 16 communities built around the River Rhondda. The valley is made up of two valleys, the larger Rhondda Fawr valley and the smaller Rhondda Fach valley...
in 1926. His father was the Rev'd T. Alban Davies, a Congregationalist
Congregational church
Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
preacher who practised at Bethesda Church in Ton Pentre. His father was a Welsh speaker
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
and an early member of Plaid Cymru
Plaid Cymru
' is a political party in Wales. It advocates the establishment of an independent Welsh state within the European Union. was formed in 1925 and won its first seat in 1966...
, the Nationalist political party of Wales. His father was a large influence on Davies' morale viewpoint, and instilled in him a nationalistic and egalitarian
Egalitarianism
Egalitarianism is a trend of thought that favors equality of some sort among moral agents, whether persons or animals. Emphasis is placed upon the fact that equality contains the idea of equity of quality...
ethos. While still a schoolboy, Davies was introduced to the Cadwgan Circle, a group of writers and thinkers from the Rhondda, who met at the house of J. Gwyn Griffiths
J. Gwyn Griffiths
John Gwyn Griffiths , was a Welsh poet, Egyptologist and nationalist political activist who spent the largest span of his career lecturing at Swansea University.-Early history:...
and his wife Käte Bosse-Griffiths
Käte Bosse-Griffiths
Käte Bosse-Griffiths was a German born Egyptologist who after moving to Wales became a writer in the Welsh language.-Early history:...
. Although the youngest of the group, he contributed to an anthology published by the movement, and used his time with the group to discuss the French and Spanish literature he was studying at Porth
Porth
Porth is a town and a community in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, within the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan, Wales, lying in the Rhondda Valley and is regarded as the gateway to the Rhondda Fawr and Rhondda Fach valleys because both valleys meet at Porth...
Grammar School.
At the age of 18, and with Britain still at war, Davies was conscripted as a Bevin Boy, which saw him working as a coal miner rather than serve active military duty. He continued his studies during this period, relying on discounted books from London's foremost specialised antiquarian book-seller of Catalan
Catalan language
Catalan is a Romance language, the national and only official language of Andorra and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencian , as well as in the city of Alghero, on the Italian island...
and Castilian language, Joan Gili
Joan Gili
Joan Gili i Serra, also known as John Gili, was a Catalan antiquarian book-seller, publisher and translator.Joan Gili was born in Barcelona in 1907. His father, Lluis Gili, ran a religious publishing house which also published a cookery book, Sabores, written by his mother, which became a...
. Despite his educated background, and his chaste values of refraining from smoking, drinking and womanising; in sharp contrast to many of his collier work-mates, Davies enjoyed his three years spent as a coal miner; believing it brought him closer to the working-class man of the Rhondda. In 1948 Davies was released from service in the coal mines, and won a scholarship to Queens College, Oxford. At Oxford he studied Romance Languages and received a first degree, after which he was appointed to a lectureship at the University of Leeds in Spanish and Portuguese. In 1953, whilst in Leeds he married Catherine Glyn Jones; who like Davies was originally from the Rhondda and was also a linguist. Davies settled in Leeds, near Otley
Otley
-Transport:The main roads through the town are the A660 to the south east, which connects Otley to Bramhope, Adel and Leeds city centre, and the A65 to the west, which goes to Ilkley and Skipton. The A6038 heads to Guiseley, Shipley and Bradford, connecting with the A65...
, and he and Caryl had four children. Although the couple spent thirty years in Yorkshire, they kept a strong connection to Welsh culture and taught all their children to speak Welsh.
In 1955 he was promoted to the post of lecturer at the University of Leeds, and in 1968 was made a senior lecturer. During his time at Leeds he spent visiting appointments at the University of Cardiff in Wales, Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
in the United States and at Australian National University
Australian National University
The Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...
in Canberra. In 1975 he was made head of the Department of Spanish and Portuguese Languages, holding the post until 1983. He retired in 1986 and moved back to Wales, settling in Llangwyryfon
Llangwyryfon
Llangwyryfon is a village in the county of Ceredigion, Wales. It lies on the B4576 about 8 miles to the south and east of Aberystwyth. The village lies in the valley of the River Wyre and contains the roadbridge where the B4576 crosses the Wyre downstream of which lies the confluence of the rivers...
in Ceredigion. He died in Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth is a historic market town, administrative centre and holiday resort within Ceredigion, Wales. Often colloquially known as Aber, it is located at the confluence of the rivers Ystwyth and Rheidol....
in 2009, having survived Caryl who died in 2007.
Literary work
Davies main field of study was the Golden AgeSpanish Golden Age
The Spanish Golden Age is a period of flourishing in arts and literature in Spain, coinciding with the political rise and decline of the Spanish Habsburg dynasty. El Siglo de Oro does not imply precise dates and is usually considered to have lasted longer than an actual century...
of Spanish poetry, but was also interested in nineteenth century Spanish literature, the Spanish songbooks of the German Romantics
German Romanticism
For the general context, see Romanticism.In the philosophy, art, and culture of German-speaking countries, German Romanticism was the dominant movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. German Romanticism developed relatively late compared to its English counterpart, coinciding in its...
and other Spanish and Argentine works, having himself visited Welsh Patagonia. As a translator, Davies found the works of fellow countryman David Rowland
David Rowland
David Lincoln Rowland was an American industrial designer who is best known for the 40/4 chair he created in the late 1950s, a stacking chair so named because 40 chairs can be stored in a stack high, with sales in the millions.-Biography:Rowland was born on February 12, 1924 in Los Angeles...
of interest. Rowland had translated the anonymous Spanish text, 'La vida de Lazarillo de Tormes y de sus fortunas y adversidades' in 1586, and Davies edited a 1991 version published by Gregynog Press
Gregynog Press
The Gregynog Press, also known as Gwasg Gregynog, is a printing press and charity in Wales.Founded in 1922 by the sisters and art patrons Margaret and Gwendoline Davies, the press was named after their mansion Gregynog Hall. It rose to prominence in the pre-war era as among the more important...
.
Factual work
- A Poet at Court: Antonio Hurtado de Mendoza, 1586-1644 (1971)
- Tan Tro Nesaf (1976)
- Dyddiadur Awstralia (1986)