Recently, I have been thinking about where I have come from. Trying to understand what makes Wales the place it is. The place that is in my blood, the place that I have lived for 16 years and the place I am about to leave. When talking about Wales, the usual stuff comes to mind - leeks, daffodils, rugby, the dragon, male voice choirs etc. But there is more to this place.
The National Anthem, I think, shows at least a little of Welsh pride and spirit:
Mae hen wlad fy nhadau yn annwyl i mi,
Gwlad beirdd a chantorion, enwogion o fri;
Ei gwrol ryfelwyr, gwladgarwyr tra mâd,
Tros ryddid gollasant eu gwaed.
Gwlad, Gwlad, pleidiol wyf i'm gwlad,
Tra môr yn fur i'r bur hoff bau,
O bydded i'r heniaith barhau.
Hen Gymru fynyddig, paradwys y bardd,
Pob dyffryn, pob clogwyn, i'm golwg sydd hardd;
Trwy deimlad gwladgarol, mor swynol yw si
Ei nentydd, afonydd, i mi.
Os treisiodd y gelyn fy ngwlad dan ei droed,
Mae hen iaith y Cymry mor fyw ag erioed,
Ni luddiwyd yr awen gan erchyll law brad,
Na thelyn berseiniol fy ngwlad.
Translates to:
The old land of my fathers is dear to me,
A land of poets and singers, famous people of renown
Its brave warriors, great patriots,
For freedom they lost their blood
Country, country, I'm partial to my country,
While the sea is a wall for the pure, dear country,
O may the "old language" continue
Old mountainous Wales, paradise of the poet,
Every valley, every cliff is beautiful in my sight;
Through patriotic feeling, more enchanting is the murmur
Of her streams and rivers to me.
If the enemy violated my country underfoot,
The "old language" of the Welsh is alive as ever,
The spirit wasn't hindered by the awful, treacherous hand
Nor the sweet harp of my country.
I don't think I can really understand my country until I leave it. As they absence makes the heart fonder. Maybe then I will be able to tell you about what makes Wales the place it is.
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