"" () is the de facto<!-- Do not change to "official". It lacks official status in law. --> national anthem of Wales. The title, taken from the first words of the song, means "The Old Land of My Fathers" in Welsh, usually rendered in English as simply "Land of My Fathers". The words were written by Evan James and the tune composed by his son, James James, both residents of Pontypridd, Glamorgan, in January 1856. The earliest written copy survives and is part of the collections of the National Library of Wales. It was increasingly sung at patriotic gatherings and gradually it developed into a national anthem.
"Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau" was the first national anthem to be sung at the start of a sporting event. In 1905, the Welsh national rugby team hosted New Zealand's first touring team, who started every match performing a haka. As a response, Wales player Teddy Morgan led the crowd singing the anthem. Although crowds often sang anthems during games, there was no precedent for an anthem to be sung before a match.
In 1978 for their Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau album, Geraint Jarman a'r Cynganeddwyr recorded a version of the anthem using electric guitars, inspired by Jimi Hendrix's rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" (as famously performed during the Woodstock festival in 1969 and featured in the documentary of that festival released in 1970). Jarman's version, played by Welsh guitarist Tich Gwilym, is one of the most famous modern versions of the song. although the official anthem at the time was "God Save the King". "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau" slowly established itself as the more popular anthem over the next four decades and was sung along with "God Bless the Prince of Wales" and "God Save the Queen" before sporting events until 1975, when sports officials decided that "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau" should be sung alone. Like other British anthems, it has not been established as a national anthem by law, but it has been used as a national anthem at official governmental ceremonies, including the opening of the Welsh Parliament (), and at receptions of the British monarchy since the 1970s. It is recognised and used as an anthem at both national and local events in Wales, even despite its lacks official status.
"Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau" is often considered a must-see or must-hear experience, especially in sporting events in Cardiff such as a rugby match in the Principality Stadium.
Usually, "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau" will be the only anthem sung: only the first stanza and chorus are usually sung (and in the Welsh language). "God Save the King", the national anthem of the United Kingdom, is sometimes played alongside "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau" during official events with a royal connection. the pictures were frequently cited as evidence of his unsuitability for the post. According to John Major's autobiography, the first thing Redwood's successor William Hague said, on being appointed, was that he had better find someone to teach him the words. He found Ffion Jenkins, and later married her.
!IPA transcription
!English verse translation by A.P. Graves
!English verse translation by W.S. Gwynn Williams
!English verse translation by Owain Alaw
!A more literal English translation
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