Gwilym - Gwalia

[stephenbranley]

I’m buzzing a bit at the moment. I don’t get out to speak Welsh often, but I do use it quite a lot on Twitter and yesterday I emailed the band “Gwilym” asking if they would be so good as to send me a copy of the lyrics to their brilliant anthem “Gwalia” that I keep hearing on Radio Cymru… and today they replied and emailed them to me! I know it’s not exactly ground breaking, but to have an interaction with first-language speakers, make myself understood and for them to reply is exciting to me.

The whole interaction was:

“Sais dw i, ond dw i’n caru “Gwalia”. Mae hi’n gwych! Gallwn i weld y geiriau i ymarfer fy nghymraeg, os gwelwch chi’n dda? Diolch, a phob lwc Cymru (a Lloegr wrth gwrs!)”

“Helo! Be ydych cyfeiriad ebost chi? I mi gael anfon y geiriau! Diolch!”

“Diolch o galon am eich ateb! Fy nghyfeiriad ebost i ydy (my email). Diolch eto. Dw i’n caru’r cân!”

And lo and behold, I got an email from them with the lyrics, and at the bottom:

Mor falch eich bod yn mwynhau’r gân- pob hwyl hefo’r dysgu!

Diolch,

Llew

Just thought I’d share (and if you haven’t heard the song, go and check it out!)

[jenny-5]

Da iawn i chi @stephenbranley. Dw i’n genfigennus rwan! What a brilliant story for so many reasons, no wonder you’re buzzing. Excellent band. Wouldn’t it be great if we could all sing along to all the matches?! One for rugby supporting SSIWrs to learn maybe? Like you, dw i’n cefnogi Cymru (a Lloegr).

[suzanne-allen]

That’s great Stephen - I love ‘Gwalia’ too! I’m quite early on in my Welsh journey and have been trying to sing along but am struggling with the lyrics, would it be possible to put them on this thread (or just the chorus). Diolch!

[Cetra]

Nice one @stephenbranley! Very brave! Yes, please share the lyrics. I’ve been listening to O Gymru by Eleri Llwyd which I think has inspired this version by Gwilym. I’d love to understand the words better

[stephenbranley]

I had better check that it’s OK to share them. I’ll tweet the band back again and make sure. If they say it’s OK, I’ll post them here.

[Cetra]

Perfect @stephenbranley! I was hoping you’d like to continue your conversation with them! I’m sure they’ll be delighted to hear that they’re inspiring Welsh learners

[amandalaing]

can you share the lyrics? They were driving me mad this morning trying to work them out.

[stephenbranley]

If the band says it’s ok to do so, then I’ll post them here. I thought I’d better ask them first though, as they don’t appear to be public anywhere else.

[gisella-albertini]

At this point I’d like to remind this forum has a shared lyrics archive (and still open lyrics transcription “challenge” even though we’ve been a bit lazy for a while!).

There’s 5 tabs (instructions, unofficial lyrics in the works and completed, official lyrics).

It also includes one attempt of collaborative transcription of a Gwilym song, Neidia, chosen and started by @sasha-lathrop!
But not sure it’s ready to be shown to the authors!

Cerddoriaeth Gymraeg - Song Transcription Collaborative Challenge

More explanations and details, here:

Song transcription (collaborative) challenge

Continuing our off topic discussion from Would anyone like to share their duolingo name? Short summary: @Telyn_Marco and @sasha-lathrop mentioned starting a friendly competition on Duolingo (jumping a few steps in between!) Then: I think…alright! Let’s start with this new topic/thread and let’s see how it goes! [Edit] Copying the link to the list here, so it’s easier to find. There are three tabs: - one for transcriptions in the works - one for completed transcriptions - o…

[stephenbranley]

@amandalaing @Cetra @suzanne-allen @jenny-5

I got a simple reply of “Dim problem!” from the guys in the band, so as requested here are the lyrics!

Wyt ti am ffindio dy galon ben dy hun
Mae’n rhaid bod mwy i’r lliw na’r llun,
Mae’n rhaid
Bod mwy na hoel paradwys dan dy groen.

Pan ddaw difrod ti ar dy draed,
Pan ddaw dy awr gwell dwylo coch na dwylo gwaed,
Daw dy eni
Gwlad fy ngweni.

O Gymru,
O Gymru,
Rhof iti fy mywyd,
O Walia,
O Walia,
Ti ydyw fy ngwynfyd,
O Gymru
O Gymru
Fy heulwen wyt ti!
O fy Ngwalia

Clyw y dorf yn canu,
Cân o fawl amdana ti,
Clyw y credu,
Oes ystyr dan y sgrifen ar y mur.

Wrth i guriad fy nghalon fynd yn hŷn.
O fy Ngwalia
A lliw y llynia’n oll gytun
Mae’n rhaid rhoi gora’i frathu tafod,
Daw ein dydd!

O Gymru,
O Gymru,
Rhof iti fy mywyd,
O Walia,
O Walia,
Ti ydyw fy ngwynfyd,
O Gymru
O Gymru
Fy heulwen wyt ti!

Ti’n yng ngweld i’n syllu at le mae’r gola’n dallu (x2)
Wyt ti am ffindio dy galon ben dy hun
Mae’n rhaid bod mwy i’r lliw na’r llun,
Mae’n rhaid

Bod mwy na hoel paradwys dan dy groen.
Pan ddaw difrod ti ar dy draed,
Pan ddaw dy awr gwell dwylo coch na dwylo gwaed,
Daw dy eni
Gwlad fy ngweni.

O Gymru,
O Gymru,
Rhof iti fy mywyd,
O Walia,
O Walia,
Ti ydi fy ngwynfyd,
O Gymru
O Gymru
Fy heulwen wyt ti!

O fy ngwalia,
Clyw y dorf yn canu,
Cân o fawl amdana ti,
Clyw y credu,
Oes ystyr dan y sgriden ar y myr.

Wrth i guriad fy nghalon fynd yn hŷn.
O fy Ngwalia
A lliw y llynia’n oll gytun
Mae’n rhaid rhoi gora’i frathu tafod,
Daw ein dydd!

O Gymru,
O Gymru,
Rhof iti fy mywyd,
O Walia,
O Walia,
Ti ydi fy ngwynfyd,
O Gymru
O Gymru

Fy heulwen wyt ti! (x2)

I’m afraid it’s mostly a bit too difficult for me, but it’s nice to see them nonetheless.

@gisella-albertini I’ve added the lyrics to the “Official” tab of the spreadsheet you linked to. I hope that’s OK

[Cetra]

Perffaith, diolch!

[gisella-albertini]

Looks fine to me!

[sasha-lathrop]

I’ve added the lyrics to the “Official” tab of the spreadsheet

Oh, cool! Diolch yn fawr!

EDIT: This song has moved me deeply from the first time I heard it, even though it is a challenging one for me still… and now that I’m seeing the lyrics I now know why this song had such a strong impact on me . I’m so grateful.

[stephenbranley]

You’re welcome. I don’t really know what prompted me to email the band. I was looking and looking for the lyrics, couldn’t find them, and (quite uncharacteristically for me) suddenly went “oh blow it, I’ll tweet them and ask!”.

And as a bonus, they seem like really nice guys, so that just makes me like the song even more.

[jenny-5]

What a brilliant outcome, thanks @stephenbranley. I hope the guys in the band know how much they’re inspiring us!

[neil-jones]

Mae hwn yn wych. Beth ydy dy trydar? Bydda i ddilyn i ti.

Dwi’n hoffi Gwilym hefyd.

Trio Y Cledrau ac Yr Ods - Mae nhwn bril!

[jenny-5]

@stephenbranley @Cetra @amandalaing @sasha-lathrop @JudithHughes
Heno have just used this song as background to coverage of yesterday’s rugby (so proud of the boys in red and shame they won’t be playing Lloegr at the weekend). I’ve scribbled down the subtitles as best I could:

Do you want to find your own heart. O Walia
There must be more than meets the eye
You must be more than a pretty face.

When disaster strikes you always land on your feet
Better to be caught red handed than with blood on your hands
???
My homeland my joy.

O Gymru O Gymru
I give you my life
O Walia O Walia
???
O Gyrmru O Gymru
I give you my life
O Walia O Walia
You’re my sunshine.

O Walia
Listen to the crowds singing a song of praise to you
Listen to their belief
Is there meaning behind the writing on the wall
As my heart beats quicker
My Walia
It all comes together
There’s no need to hold back our day has come

O Gymru O Gymru
I give you my life
O Walia O Walia
You are my sunshine**

[Cetra]

The second lot of ??? after O Walia is “You are my bliss”

[jenny-5]

Diolch @Cetra, dear old google translate suggested “you are my disease” - I knew that couldn’t be correct!

[jen]

This just came on radio cymru. Found this post wow those lyrics. Must learn this song.