A Translation for Paṭicca

'Trigger'. Downbound blindness triggers own-making.
'Actuate'. Downbound own-making actuates consciousness.
'Propagate'. Downbound consciousness propagates named shapes.
'Generate'. Downbound named shapes generates consciousness.
'Manifest'. Downbound consciousness manifests the six realms of the senses.
'Breed'. Downbound, the six realms of the senses breeds sense-experience.
'Touch off'. Downbound, sense-experience touches off contact.
'Stimulate'. Downbound contact stimulates hunger/thirst.
'Inflame'. Downbound hunger/thirst inflames fuel.
'Salt'. Downbound fuel salts existence.
'Beget'. Downbound existence begets birth.
'Introduce'. Downbound birth introduces old age, sickness, suffering and death,
grief and lamentation,
pain and misery,
and despair.
Results in, percusses, has as its counterpart, provokes, prompts, spawns, spurs, pushes, drives, compels, goads, prods, whips up, engenders, induces ...

What it isn't is 'cause', no more than the mother 'causes' the birth of her child. The child comes into existence as a consequence of the conjoining of innumerable factors, some of which are vital, some of which can be controlled by choice. When the paṭicca samuppāda is given in the reverse direction indicating the path to the ending of pain, the factors presented are those which are vital, salient, comprehensible, visible and at some point in the chain under the control of the individual.