Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau verse." <poem>The land of my fathers is dear unto me, Land of poets and singers, and people of stature, Its warring defenders, so gallant and brave, For freedom their life's blood they gave 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 For tho' the fierce foeman has ravaged your realm, The old speech of Wales he cannot o'erwhelm, Our passionate poets to silence command, Nor banish the harp from your strand.</poem> "A more literal translation is:" The old land
Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau first nation to sing a national anthem at the start of a sporting event. In 1978 as part of their album, also called "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau", Geraint Jarman a'r Cynganeddwyr recorded a version of the Welsh national anthem using electric guitars, inspired by Jimi Hendrix's rendition of the "Star-Spangled Banner". Jarman's version, played by Welsh guitarist Tich Gwilym is one of the most famous modern versions of the song. Tradition has established "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau" as an unofficial Welsh anthem since 1905, when it was first sung by fans at rugby games, although the official anthem at the