#79 Sing an anthem

Posted by neil on Nov 9, 2012 in Blog | 0 comments

Last week I stood among the masses at a Muse gig in Manchester as they belted out some of their anthems. Whilst not a Muse fan per se, I was there to accompany a friend who has stood next to me over the years and I loved every minute of it.

Tomorrow I will sing a different anthem after spending the last couple of weeks educating my boys with some Welsh words of significance. The Welsh National anthem is for me the ultimate song to sing. I’ve been lucky enough to embrace it echoing around the Millenium Stadium on a number of occasions as the crowd joins together to amplify its anthem, but having my sons beside me adorned in Welsh colours will be an experience to remember.

Sadly Welsh isn’t our first language and although it is a compulsory part of the curriculum for the boys, it’s not our native tongue. However Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau (translated in English as ‘Land of my Fathers’) is our nations song. It was written back in 1856 by Evan James and his son James James.  The phonetic and English translation can be found here. The tantalising tongue twisting text that makes up the melody of such an iconic anthem goes something like this…all together now!!

 

Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau

Mae hen wlad fy nhadau yn annwyl i mi,

Gwlad beirdd a chantorion, enwogion o fri;

Ei gwrol ryfelwyr, gwladgarwyr tra mâd,

Tros ryddid gollasant eu gwaed.

 

Chorus:

Gwlad, Gwlad, pleidiol wyf i’m gwlad,

Tra môr yn fur i’r bur hoff bau,

O bydded i’r heniaith barhau.

 

Hen Gymru fynyddig, paradwys y bardd;

Pob dyffryn, pob clogwyn, i’m golwg sydd hardd

Trwy deimlad gwladgarol, mor swynol yw si

Ei nentydd, afonydd, i fi.

 

Chorus

 

Os treisiodd y gelyn fy ngwlad dan ei droed,

Mae hen iaith y Cymry mor fyw ag erioed,

Ni luddiwyd yr awen gan erchyll law brad,

Na thelyn berseiniol fy ngwlad.

 

Chorus

 

Wales forever – Cymru am byth!