Tuesday 28 June 2011

The Chorus: Gwlad! Gwlad!



Gwlad! Gwlad!

Easy enough... Country! Country! ("Nation!" would fit nicely.)

Pleidiol wyf i'm gwlad


Pleidiol = True/ Faithful/ Favourable

Note. Think "Plaid Cymru"... "Party of Wales."... They too being nationalist, like this song, are faithful!


(yr) Wyf = I am -- the same as... 'rydw i, or, 'rwyf i'

Vital... 'Rwyf i or Rydw i :- They mean 'I am' (1st person singular present)
 - Rydw i'n hapus = I am happy!


Next,


i'm = i + fy

Remember "i" = "to" (...annwyl i mi)


" 'm " (apostrophe m) is what you get when you push "i" and "fy" together!! Simple.

(remember "fy" = "my") (fy nhadau)


i'm = to my (i + fy)


Moving on..!

Gwlad - land/country (note although 'gwlad' would mutate after "Fy" it doesn't after "i'm" ("i" + "fy")

Simple, Remember to continue playing through each part after we've covered it here!


Pleidiol wyf i'm gwlad
Faithful, I am to my country/land ... (nation would fit well, besides it's the same meaning)

or if you please, in the normal layout

I am faithful to my country



Onwards...

Tra = Highly... Sorry not this time (it can also mean "while" "whilst")

Môr = Sea (mere, French, mar, Spanish) (remember the roof "^" stretches the vowel, "mâd")

Yn = Is         ...  Remember  "yn annwyl" - "is dear"?? :D

Mur = Wall  (same as French)

Note:- Yn fur = is (a) wall 
therefore, "mur" changes to "fur" (veeeeer) because it's saying it IS something. 
It mutates and... softens here!


(not a big deal for absolute beginners, but it's not hard to remember after "yn" meaning "is" you 
soft mutate a word!) :)


Tra môr yn fur 
While the sea is a wall


Almost DONE!

I'r bur hoff bau


I = To (again)

I'R = "I" + "Y"

Y = The ("y bag" = "the bag")

"To the"

"Pur" = Pure (look similar)

Note:- After "y" found in "I'r" singular feminine words like "Gwlad" mutate.
P mutates to B (softens)

Hoff = Favourite (one of the other few words that come before like "hen" (all in this song:L))

Note:- Like with "Hen" you mutate after "Hoff" - it softens the "P" to a "B"

Pau = Dated/Old word for "country"... you will only ever use this word in the anthem, for sure!

Remember, isn't vital yet, but

"Pau" after "Hoff" (like "Hen")

= Hoff bau

I'r bur hoff bau
To/for the pur country


Tra môr yn fur, i'r bur hoff bau
While the sea is (a) will, for/to the pure country


Just to clarify, that sentence above is honestly, challenging Welsh!.. We may not get Welsh that challenging for a while!... Bear with me! :D


Last line:-

O bydded i'r hen iaith barhau!

O = just a noise :L "Oh"

Bydded - "may" (not the month, a form of "to be" - "May I?" - not used often, (the subjunctive mood) used often in the Bible, and in Poetry... Appropriate tone for an anthem, powerful!

From Genesis:-
May there be light! 
Bydded goleuni!


O bydded - Oh may ("to be")

I'r - to the... that idea

hen - old (again before, vowels don't mutate)

iaith - language ("th" here is soft... "think")

parhau -  endure, prolong, continue

Note:- "iaith" is like "gwlad" - A singular ("language") feminine object... you gotta mutate :D Softly!

Again... Not vital (you will be understood w/o mutating this!) "P" mutates to "B" (again)

O bydded i'r hen iaith barhau!
O may the old language endure/prolong/continue!

 The end!! Keep on playing through the anthem, chunk by chunk, picking it apart, until you know the lyrics and can sing along in time with understanding/consciously (not a mimic version!)


Bear in mind.... This is one of the MOST DIFFICULT


But everyone's familiar with it, so that's a good base!! :D 


Enjoy your listening :D 







1 comment:

  1. This is excellent. My junior school welsh just isn't up to this and your explanation is light years better than a simple translation.

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