Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Wales Online
Wales Online
Sport
Mathew Davies

Yma o Hyd lyrics in full, what it means and why it's now sung at Wales football matches

Dafydd Iwan's 'Yma o Hyd' will be belted out loud and proud at Cardiff City Stadium as Wales take on Ukraine for a place at the World Cup later this year.

It has become a popular pre-match tradition to have the song about the survival of Welsh culture and language sung before the national team play their matches in the capital.

Iwan is set to attend and perform on Sunday, June 5, after his tune was adopted by Rob Page and his players - as well as Wales Women - having previously been sung at Scarlets rugby matches and at Wrexham AFC games. Connor Roberts and Chris Gunter are big fans of the song, with Page revealing earlier this year it was the latter who played a big part in its introduction to the Welsh national team set-up. Page said: "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."

Read more: The story of Yma o Hyd and how Welsh football fans left legendary folk singer Dafydd Iwan in tears 38 years after he wrote it

The man himself was almost taken aback by the reception when he performed back in March.

"Football Association of Wales contacted me and asked if I wanted to perform 'Yma o Hyd' before the game because it was a favourite with Y Wal Goch [the 'Red Wall']," he told WalesOnline after the semi-final match with Austria. "My sons are avid Welsh football fans - they've been to nearly every game, travelled for the Euro's and so on, and they told me that the Welsh fans would often sing the song during matches.

"I have sung in stadiums before and they can be a bit of a nightmare at times. So I agreed to do it as long as I had a good microphone and monitors to hear the music and make a good performance. I was slightly nervous beforehand - performances are always different to what you expect. There was always a risk that something would go wrong and I was prepared for that. But one thing I wasn't prepared for was the experience itself."

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!)

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.