This weekend will be quite exciting, as for the first time ever, I’m off to an International Football Match.
Yes, I’m going to watch a football game sitting down, I’m going to watch a football game with more than a thousand people around me, I’m going to watch a football game where I won’t get pissed with the players after the game.
The place? Cardiff. The game? Wales vs. Republic of Ireland.
Okay, it’s actually may not be that good a game, and there’s every chance that we could get smashed, but – come 5pm on Saturday in City Centre Cardiff – there’s every chance that we will get smashed.
I’ve set myself a little 24 hour challenge – learn the Welsh National Anthem.
It’s rousing, it’s beautiful, it stirs emotions, it’s completely incomprehensible. Here’s it sung before a Welsh game (note to all the red blooded male bloggers out there watch out for the reason about 1 minute in as to why Wales is so great, the one on the right especially):
Phwoar! Katherine Jenkins, oh you would.
What she’s singing though is completely incomprehensible, well to me anyway. My Welsh is alright, but not that good:
Mae hen wlad fy nhadau yn annwyl i mi,
Gwlad beirdd a chantorion, enwogion o fri;
Ei gwrol ryfelwyr, gwladgarwyr tra mâd,
Dros ryddid collasant eu gwaed.Gwlad, gwlad, pleidiol wyf i’m gwlad.
Tra môr yn fur i’r bur hoff bau,
O bydded i’r hen iaith barhau.
We shall see, I know bits of it already, the first line, and the “Gwlad, Gwlad” bit. The rest is me murmuring, worst than when I was in school and we were forced to sing the second verse of “Away in a Manger”. I’m usually quite good at learning lyrics, and picking up anthems especially (know the tunes to pretty much most of Western Europe, Japan, US, South Africa, Canada and Australia), but the Welsh one just baffles me. Any tips to the Welsh speakers to pick it up?
Right, as Bush suggested I’m going to knock the weekend entries on the head for this weekend. Will be back on Monday where this blog goes over to the new server – joy of wonderous joys. Come on Wales, and come on my bets! See you Monday.
Comments: 6 Comments
Rhys Wynne, the author of this blog, is a 20 something web designer from Colwyn Bay. 
I think it’s Katherine Jenkins pronounciation and not you. I hate it when they have a guest singer to sing the anthem – they normally want to sign it at a slower pace and a higher pitch then the crowd and it sounds bloody awful.
I hope it will be a good match, although both sides are at their shitest at the momoent.
If you’re having pre and post match pints, it’s traditional to congregate outside the Shitty Arms – maybe I’ll bump into you!
I learnt it by writing it all out as it would look in English (yes, I know, its pratically blasphemy). I remember it better that way
My hen wlad fun had I un anne will ee me
Gwlad bear-the a can tor-eon en wog-eon or free
etc
Cardiff, eh? Want to meet up for the photo op OF A LIFETIME?!?!?!
Lucky you man. I dont know when i am going to get a chance to watch a football match at a stadium.
See you Monday buddddddddddddddddddddd-y!
I heard Katherine Jenkins on the radio this morning, talking about going to Afghanistan and Iraq. She sounded very nice person. So whilst I wouldn’t, personally, for a number of reasons of which gender is only one, I validate your lust
.