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Wales Online
Wales Online
Sport
Tom Coleman

Yma o Hyd full lyrics, meaning and why Wales football fans started singing it

Dafydd Iwan's 'Yma o Hyd' has been a familiar anthem to Welsh speakers for some time, but has firmly moved into the mainstream in recent years, and sport has had a big part to play in its popularity.

A song about the survival of Welsh culture and language, it has been a mainstay of pre-match festivities at the Scarlets and Wrexham AFC for some time, and has also been heard at Welsh international rugby matches.

Recently, it has also become a part of Cardiff City's pre-match preparations, and is often played alongside the equally iconic 'Men of Harlech', which greets the Bluebirds players as they walk out on to the pitch.

Read more: Welsh football fans left legendary folk singer Dafydd Iwan in tears 38 years after he wrote it

The influence of what is Iwan's finest work, as a musician anyway, has also grown alongside the Welsh independence movement, where it unsurprisingly strikes a chord, but even outside the nationalist movement it remains popular. Back in 2020 the track even got to the top of the UK iTunes chart.

Now, it's recently become something of an unofficial anthem for the Welsh national football team, with the Football Association of Wales recently inviting Iwan himself to sing the song ahead of the team's World Cup play-off win over Austria on Thursday. However, its use ahead of Wales games at Cardiff City Stadium is actually a relatively new phenomenon.

Connor Roberts and Chris Gunter are big fans of the song, with Rob Page recently revealing that it was the latter who played a big part in its introduction to the Welsh national team set-up. Page said this week: "Yma o Hyd, that's a massive anthem for us now. Chris Gunter started it. We played it everyday before training and on the coach, and that's something we've got now as our anthem. It's a big part of what we're all about. The song is very poignant to what we're all about. We can all relate to it. We're all passionate Welsh people who love our country."

Yma o Hyd lyrics in full

Dwyt ti'm yn cofio Macsen

Does neb yn ei nabod o

Mae mil a chwe chant o flynyddoedd

Yn amser rhy hir i'r co'

Pan aeth Magnus Maximus o Gymru

Yn y flwyddyn tri-chant-wyth-tri

A'n gadael yn genedl gyfan

A heddiw: wele ni!

(You don't remember Macsen,

nobody knows him.

One thousand and six hundred years,

a time too long to remember.

When Magnus Maximus left Wales,

in the year 383,

leaving us a whole nation,

and today - look at us!)

Ry'n ni yma o hyd

Ry'n ni yma o hyd

Er gwaetha pawb a phopeth

Er gwaetha pawb a phopeth

Er gwaetha pawb a phopeth

Ry'n ni yma o hyd

Ry'n ni yma o hyd

Er gwaetha pawb a phopeth

Er gwaetha pawb a phopeth

Er gwaetha pawb a phopeth

Ry'n ni yma o hyd

(We are still here,

we are still here,

in spite of everyone and everything,

in spite of everyone and everything,

in spite of everyone and everything.

We are still here,

we are still here,

in spite of everyone and everything,

in spite of everyone and everything,

in spite of everyone and everything.

We are still here.)

Chwythed y gwynt o'r Dwyrain

Rhued y storm o'r môr

Hollted y mellt yr wybren

A gwaedded y daran encôr

Llifed dagrau'r gwangalon

A llyfed y taeog y llawr

Er dued yw'r fagddu o'n cwmpas

Ry'n ni'n barod am doriad y wawr!

(Let the wind blow from the East,

let the storm roar from the sea,

let the lightning split the heavens,

and the thunder shout "encore!"

Let the tears of the faint-hearted flow,

and the servile lick the floor.

Despite the blackness around us,

we are ready for the breaking of the dawn!)

Cofiwn i Facsen Wledig

Adael ein gwlad yn un darn

A bloeddiwn gerbron y gwledydd

Mi fyddwn yma tan Ddydd y Farn!

Er gwaetha pob Dic Siôn Dafydd

Er gwaetha 'rhen Fagi a'i chriw

Byddwn yma hyd ddiwedd amser

A bydd yr iaith Gymraeg yn fyw!

(We remember that Macsen the Emperor

left our country in one whole piece.

And we shall shout before the nations,

"We'll be here until Judgement Day!"

Despite every Dic Siôn Dafydd,

despite old Maggie and her crew,

we'll be here until the end of time,

and the Welsh language will be alive!)

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