Mae Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau, Welsh National Anthem-confident enough?!

I saw a post in the Scotland section about the Scottish National Anthem and it got me thinking about the hymn we even sing in church that often brings a tear to my eye and makes my hair stand on edge...

Mae Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau

Recently, some Welsh celebrities got together with Welsh-speaking celebrities to learn our National Hymn in The Big Welsh Challenge
http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/learnwelsh/bigw...welshchallenge/

So, are you confident to do the same thing as these celebrities?!

Siarls, it's me again. (Please, others do join us!)

I watched The Big Welsh Challenge too. It seemed like they made a grand show for just learning to sing Hen Wlad. I thought they were going to learn to speak Welsh in a short time with the help from those Welsh speakers. Well, maybe it'll be followed by more programs of this kind.

I didn't mean to start with a negative tone. Here, let me fix it. I love Hen Wlad. I know what you mean you feel so moved when you sing it. I especially like the third verse which tells how the Welsh language has lived against all odds.

In fact it was the first Welsh song I've learned (with Bryn Terfel's CD.) The words are hard so it was such a struggle to understand them. But recently I read an article about the song in a Welsh magazine; the words were explained thoroughly together with the history behind the song.

I hope all the Welsh learners will learn it and cherish it in their hearts.

Does anyone remember John Redwood aka Mr.Spock 'singing' along to the Welsh national anthem & making a total ass of himself?

There will be more programmes of the Big Welsh Challenge - I think over the next 12 months, the celebrities intend to be fluent.

I only know the 1st verse and chorus off by heart. I am well impressed that you know more, Gwenynen.

I have seen quite a few people trip up over the National Hymn, but unlike Star Spangled Banner, it's offensive not to sing along. Although, people overlooked Gavin Henderson at the Chwe Gwlad. I was irritated he didn't even bother to mime!

Thanks, Cú Dubh for posting here. No, I didn't know about Mr. Spock's failed attempt at Hen Wlad. Was it pretty bad? Why on earth did he even try?

Siarls, I'm glad to hear there will be more to the Big Welsh Challenge. Please pardon my premature verdict. I hope the celebs will do well. It'll be an encouragement to learners and may motivate others to start learning Welsh. One of the challengers, the rock singer, his pronunciations were TERRIBLE! If he will be able to speak Welsh reasonablly well in a year, that'll indeed be an accomplishment!

I don't know all of Hen Wlad by heart, only some of it and the chorus.

All the rugby players ought to know it by heart; I thought it was part of the sport (for the Welsh.)

Cu Dubh, I'm sorry the stroke above "u" in my previous post is facing the wrong way! I didn't see it till I posted and letters got bigger. I'm afraid my keybord isn't smart enough to type it.

Hi Cù! As an avid Star Trek fan, I'm just a little confused. Mr. Spock was played by a man named Leonard Nimoy. Who is John Redwood?

As me french teacher's from Britanny I can sing Mae hen wlad ... in Breton, and I know the first verse in Welsh anyway...

He was the Welsh secretary of state and effectively the most powerful politician in Wales pre Welsh Assembly. I can't remember the occasion - A Welsh tory conference or something like that. Anyway at the end everyone started to sing the Welsh national anthem. Redwood not knowing a single word of Welsh started to mime in the most unconvincing manner. Making himself look i right prat. I think it would have shown more respect if he'd have stood reverently in silence. He's nicknamed Spock because of the uncanny resemblence.
Whadaya think...Mr.Spock
I don't think he was very well liked in Wales.

Hehe. That's ok. I enjoy nosing around the Welsh section from time to time, if that's ok.

Redwood's attempts at Hen Wlad is often replayed on Welsh TV. He wasn't very well liked in Wales and generally, the Tories aren't. Until this year, Wales was Tory-free. 3 Tory MPs now. Angers me. Why on Earth would a Welshman vote Tory?????

I was watching Wales Today and a Tory MP and a Lib Dem MP began to argue over who was the larger party in Wales. The Tory MP made a mistake and made a right idiot of himself. Can't remember who they were but the dialogue was something like this...
Lib Dem: We're now the 2nd largest party in Wales
Tory: 3rd largest
Lib Dem: I think you'll find that Lib Dems are larger than the Conservatives. We have 4 seats and you only have 3
Tory: sarcastic tone:Oh wow, 1 seat more.

The National Hymn is a huge part of rugby games. It's the equivalent to that show New Zealand puts on with the Maori dancing. It annoys me that people over look Henderson because another rugby player would be trashed by the media if he did not sing along.

Oh, and I remember reading somewhere that the Breton National Anthem is just the Hen Wlad translated into Breton. Can you demonstrate any of it to us, Ioan Eiric?

Sounds like a Tory in fact it sounds like a politician. Funny how they're are no losers after an election.
Wizard: Did you know the Conservative (Tory) party gets it's name from the Gaelic. If i remember correctly it comes from the word tòir meaning persue.

I thought it was Irish Gaelic, though. Something to do with stealing sheep?

I confess I didn't know John Redwood was the former Welsh Secretary of State, and the actor who playd Mr. Spock was called Leonard Nimoy. I had the ridiculous picture in my head of Mr. Spock with his pointy ears trying to sing Hen Wlad!

I'm afraid I'm not a Star Trek fan though I used to watch it in Japan when I was growing up. (It was dubbed in Japanese, for Wizard's information.)

I've decided to learn all three verses of Hen Wlad by heart. I can't criticize other people for not doing it if I myself don't! I love Hen Wlad anyway so it won't be painful. And if I ever happend to be in the place to sing it with the Welsh, I'll be able to join them!

And boy we will love you! I don't think there's a greater compliment to our identity and culture.