Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau of my fathers is dear to me,<br> Land of bards and singers, famous men of renown;<br> Her brave warriors, very splendid patriots,<br> For freedom shed their blood. Old mountainous Wales, paradise of the bard,<br> Every valley, every cliff, to my look is beautiful.<br> Through patriotic feeling, so charming is the murmur<br> Of her brooks, rivers, to me. If the enemy oppresses my land under his foot, <br> The old language of the Welsh is as alive as ever.<br> The muse is not hindered by the hideous hand of treason,<br> Nor [is] the melodious harp of my country. "Other translations include:"
Blackwood, Caerphilly the parish of Bedwellty, Monmouthshire. He moved to Pontypridd when his son James (Iago ap Ieuan, 1833-1902) was a young boy. Evan James and his son James are credited with composing the Welsh national anthem, 'Hen Wlad fy Nhadau' ('Land of my Fathers') in 1856. Evan was a poet and it is believed that he wrote the words while his son James composed the tune. The song was published in the volume 'Gems of Welsh Melody' (1860) and soon became extremely popular. It is not certain when the song was first adopted as the Welsh national anthem. A memorial, designed