The earliest version of "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau" in the hand of the composer,James James, 1856
"Glan Rhondda" ("Banks of theRhondda"), as it was known when it was composed, was first performed in thevestry of the original Capel Tabor,Maesteg (which later became aworking men's club), in either January or February 1856, by Elizabeth John fromPontypridd, and it soon became popular in the locality.[1]
James James, the composer, was a harpist who played his instrument in the public house which he ran, for the purpose of dancing.[1] The song was originally intended to be performed in6 8 time but had to be slowed down to its present3 4 tempo[clarification needed] when it began to be sung by large crowds.
The popularity of the song increased after theLlangollenEisteddfod of 1858. Thomas Llewelyn ofAberdare won a competition for an unpublished collection of Welsh airs with a collection that included "Glan Rhondda". The adjudicator of the competition, "Owain Alaw" (John Owen, 1821–1883) asked for permission to include "Glan Rhondda" in his publication,Gems of Welsh melody (1860–1864). This volume gave "Glan Rhondda" its more famous title, "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau", and was sold in large quantities and ensured the popularity of the anthem across the whole of Wales.[1]
At theBangor Eisteddfod of 1874 "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau" gained further popularity when it was sung byRobert Rees ("Eos Morlais"), one of the leading Welsh soloists of his day.[2] It was increasingly sung at patriotic gatherings and gradually it developed into a national anthem.[1]
"Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau" was also one of the firstWelsh-language songs recorded, when Madge Breese sang it on 11 March 1899, for theGramophone Company, as part of the first recording in the Welsh language.[1][3]
"Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau" was the first national anthem to be sung at the start of a sporting event.[4][5] In 1905, theWelsh national rugby team hostedNew Zealand's first touring team, who started every match performing ahaka. As a response, Wales playerTeddy Morgan led the crowd singing the anthem.[6] Although crowds often sang anthems during games, there was no precedent for an anthem to be sung before a match.[n 1]
Tradition has established "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau" as a de facto Welsh national anthem since 1905, when it was first sung by fans at rugby games,[8]: 335 although the official anthem at the time was "God Save the King". "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau" slowly established itself as the more popular anthem over the next four decades and was sung along with "God Bless the Prince of Wales" and "God Save the Queen" before sporting events until 1975, when sports officials decided that "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau" should be sung alone. Like other British anthems, it has not been established as a national anthem by law, but it has been used as a national anthem at official governmental ceremonies, including the opening of the Welsh Parliament /Senedd Cymru, and at receptions of the British monarchy since the 1970s.[1][5] Petitions to make the song an official national anthem for Wales are occasionally submitted to the Senedd, but the last time one raised sufficient signatures to be debated, in 2014, the conclusion was that this is 'not currently a possible development'.[9] It is recognised and used as an anthem at both national and local events in Wales.
"Imagine some 40,000 people singing their national anthem with all the fervour of which the Celtic heart is capable. It was the most impressive incident I have ever witnessed on a football field. It gave a semi-religious solemnity to this memorable contest, intensely thrilling, even awe-inspiring. It was a wonderful revelation of the serious spirit in which the Welsh take their football."
All Black captainDave Gallaher's remark on experiencing the Welsh singing their anthem for the first time.[10]
Usually, "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau" will be the only anthem sung: only the first stanza and chorus are usually sung (and in the Welsh language). "God Save the King", the national anthem of the United Kingdom, is sometimes played alongside "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau" during official events with a royal connection.[5]
The existence of a separate national anthem for Wales has not always been apparent to those from outside the country. In 1993, the newly appointedSecretary of State for Wales,John Redwood, was embarrassingly videotaped opening and closing his mouth during a communal singing of the national anthem, clearly ignorant of the words but unable to mime convincingly;[11] the pictures were frequently cited as evidence of his unsuitability for the post. According toJohn Major's autobiography, the first thing Redwood's successorWilliam Hague said, on being appointed, was that he had better find someone to teach him the words. He foundFfion Jenkins, and later married her.[5]
I Mae hen wlad fy nhadau yn annwyl i mi, Gwlad beirdd a chantorion, enwogion o fri; Ei gwrol ryfelwyr, gwladgarwyr tra mad, Dros ryddid gollasant eu gwaed.[b]
Cytgan: Gwlad! Gwlad! Pleidiol wyf i'm gwlad. Tra môr yn fur i'r bur hoff bau, O bydded i'r hen iaith barhau.[c]
II 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.[d]
Cytgan
III Os treisiodd y gelyn fy ngwlad tan ei droed,[e] Mae hen iaith y Cymry mor fyw ag erioed, Ni luddiwyd yr awen gan erchyll law brad, Na thelyn berseiniol fy ngwlad.
I O Land of my fathers, O land of my love, Dear mother ofminstrels who kindle and move, And hero on hero, who at honour's proud call, For freedom their lifeblood let fall.
Chorus: Country! Country! O but my heart is with you! As long as the sea your bulwark shall be, To Cymru my heart shall be true.
II O land of the mountains, the bard's paradise, Whose precipice, valleys are fair to my eyes, Green murmuring forest, far echoing flood Fire the fancy and quicken the blood
Chorus
III For tho' the fierce foeman has ravaged your realm, The old speech of Wales he cannot o'erwhelm, Our passionate poets to silence command, Or banish the harp from your strand.
𝄆Chorus 𝄇
I The land of my fathers is dear unto me, Old land where the minstrels are honoured and free; Its warring defenders so gallant and brave, For freedom their life's blood they gave.
Chorus: Home, home, true I am to home, While seas secure the land so pure, O may the old language endure.
II Old land of the mountains, the Eden of bards, Each gorge and each valley a loveliness guards; Through love of my country, charmed voices will be Its streams, and its rivers, to me.
Chorus
III Though foemen have trampled my land 'neath their feet, The language of Cambria still knows no retreat; The muse is not vanquished by traitor's fell hand, Nor silenced the harp of my land.
𝄆Chorus 𝄇
I Оh! Land of my fathers, the land of the free, The home of the Telyn, so soothing to me; Thy noble defenders were gallant and brave, For thy freedom their hearts' life they gave!
Chorus: Wales, Wales, my mother's sweet home is in Wales, Till death be pass'd my love shall last, My longing, my hiraeth for Wales.
II Thou Eden of bards, and birthplace of song, The sons of thy mountains are valiant and strong; The voice of thy streamlets is soft to the ear, Thy hills and thy vallies how dear!
Chorus
III Though trampled and crush'd by oppression's foul wrong, The language of Cambria still lives on in song; The Awen survives, nor have envious tales Yet silenced the harp of dear Wales.
𝄆Chorus 𝄇
I The old land of my fathers is dear to me, Land of bards and singers, famous men of renown; Her brave warriors, very splendid patriots, For freedom shed their blood.
Chorus: Country, Country, I am faithful to my Country. While the sea [is] a wall to the pure, most loved land, O may the old language [sc. Welsh] endure.
II Old mountainous Wales, paradise of the bard, Every valley, every cliff, to my look is beautiful. Through patriotic feeling, so charming is the murmur Of her brooks, rivers, to me.
Chorus
III If the enemy oppresses my land under his foot, The old language of the Welsh is as alive as ever. The muse is not hindered by the hideous hand of treason, Nor the melodious harp of my country.
The Welsh poetDylan Thomas is often quoted as saying "The land of my fathers. My fathers can have it!" in reference to Wales. However, this is misleading, as it was a villainous character in one of Thomas' short stories that spoke this line.
Gwynfor Evans named his history of WalesLand of my fathers: 2,000 years of Welsh history. It was a translation of the Welsh original,Aros Mae.
The£1 coins minted in 1985, 1990, 1995 and 2000 with a Welsh emblem on the reverse, also bear the edge inscriptionPLEIDIOL WYF I'M GWLAD ("I am devoted to my country"), from the refrain of "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau".[18] The newRoyal Badge of Wales adopted in 2008 features this motto.
A version of "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau" was written by Lewis Evans, a migrant from Wales toY Wladfa, a Welsh-speaking settlement inPatagonia, South America. The version penned by Evans is called "Gwlad Newydd y Cymry" ("The New Country of the Welsh"). "Gwlad Newydd y Cymry" is played to the same tune as "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau".[19]
The lyrics to "Gwlad Newydd y Cymry" are as follows (note that the spelling is not consistent with modern Welsh):
I Y mae Patagonia yn annwyl i mi, Gwlad newydd y Cymry mwyneiddlon yw hi; Anadlu gwir ryddid a gawn yn y wlad, O gyrhaedd gormesiaeth a brad:
Cytgan: Gwlad, gwlad, pleidiol wyf i'm gwlad, Tra haul y nen uwchben ein pau, O! bydded i'r Wladfa barhau.
II Bu'r Cymry yn gorwedd dan ddirmyg yn drwch, Wel, diolch am Wladfa i'n codi o'r llwch; Ein heniaith a gadwn mewn urddas a bri, Tra'r Gamwy'n ddysgleiriol ei lli:
Cytgan
III 'Chaiff Cymro byth mwyach ymostwng i Sais,- Terfynodd ei orthrwm - dystawyd ei lais; Y Wladfa fawrygwn tra'r Andes wen fawr, A'i choryn yn 'stafell y wawr:
𝄆Cytgan 𝄇
I Patagonia is dear to me, The new land of the noble Welsh people; True freedom we breathe in our new country, Far from the reach of oppression and betrayal:
Chorus: Nation [or country], Nation, I am faithful to my Nation. While the sun rises above the land, Oh! may the Settlement continue.
II The Welsh have been lying broken in scorn, Well, thanks to theWladfa from dust we're reborn; Our language of old we laud and esteem WhileCamwy flows with shining stream:
Chorus
III Let Welshman submit to the English no more, Their oppression is ended, and silenced their roar; Y Wladfa we praise while the great whiteAndes, With its peak in the chamber of dawn:
^In the United States, singing of patriotic songs before games was first observed in the years following theCivil War, with "The Star-Spangled Banner" occasionally being sung before baseball games. However, the song's pregame use did not become customary until the 1920s, and "The Star-Spangled Banner" did not become the official national anthem until 1931.[7]
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