minstrel: Welsh National Anthem?

[hrjones at socrates.berkeley.edu]

On Mon, 4 Jan 1999, Emil Stecher wrote:
>          The lines quoted below were forwarded to me by 
> a friend. As you can see, his correspondent identified the song as the
> "Welsh National Anthem". Is this a correct identification? Does anyone

Yup -- with a few minor typos I've noted below.

> on the list have a source for the tune- a record or tape name would be
> especially useful as neither of us reads music that well. Also, any

If you pick, at random, ten albums of Welsh choral music, at least five of
them will include this song. I must confess that the tune is one of those
Romantic "art" compositions that works well for professional sopranos, but
not as well for ordinary mortals. 

> info about the quality of the translation would be appreciated.

Like any metrical translation, it keeps the sense but mucks with the
precise meaning for the sake of making the rhyme and meter work. An overly
literal translation might go something more like this:

"The land of my fathers is dear to me,
Land of bards and singers, famous [people] of honor,
Our manly warriors, very good nation-lovers [i.e., patriots],
For the sake of freedom, they lost their blood.
Land! Land! I am partial/loyal to my land.
While the sea is a wal for the pure, dear country,
O, may the old language continue!"

> >  Mae hen wlad fy nhadua yn annwyl i mi,
                    "nhadau"
> > (the land of my fathers is dear to me)
> > Gwlad beirdd a chantorion,enwogion o fri;
> > (Old land where the minstrels are honored and free)
> > Ei gwrol ryfelwry,gwladgarwyr tra mad,
   "Ein"    "ryfelwyr"
> > (Its warring defenders,so galant and brave)
> > Tros ryddid collasant eu gwaed.
> > (For freedom their lives blood they gave.)
> > Gwlad,Gwlad,pleidol wyf i'm Gwlad,
               "pleidiol"
> > (Country<Wales>,Country<Wales>,true I am to my Country<Wales>,
> > Tra mor yn fur i'r bur hoffbau
                          "hoff bau"
> > (while seas secure this land so pure)
> >  O bydded i'r heniaith barhau.
                 "hen iaith"
> > (o may our old language endure.)

Tangwystyl

*********************************************************
Heather Rose Jones         hrjones at socrates.berkeley.edu
**********************************************************


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