|
"Men of Harlech" or "The March of the Men of Harlech" (in Welsh: Rhyfelgyrch Gwŷr Harlech) is a song and military march which is traditionally said to describe events during the seven year long siege of Harlech Castle between 1461 and 1468.[1] Commanded by Constable Dafydd ap Ieuan, the garrison held out in what is the longest known siege in the history of the British Isles. [2] “Through Seven Years” is an alternate name for the song. [3] Now some associate the song with the earlier shorter siege of Harlech Castle around 1408, which pitted the forces of Owain Glyndŵr against the future Henry V of England."[citation needed] Welsh redirects here, and this article describes the Welsh language. ...
This article is about the musical composition. ...
A march, as a musical genre, is a piece of music with a strong regular rhythm which in origin was expressly written for marching to and most frequently performed by a military band. ...
Harlech Castle, located in Harlech, Gwynedd, Wales, is a concentric castle, constructed atop a cliff close to the Irish Sea. ...
Events February 2 - Battle of Mortimers Cross - Yorkist troops led by Edward, Duke of York defeat Lancastrians under Owen Tudor and his son Jasper Tudor, Earl of Pembroke in Wales. ...
August 26 - Baeda Maryam succeeds his father Zara Yaqob as Emperor of Ethiopia. ...
Harlech Castle, located in Harlech, Gwynedd, Wales, is a concentric castle, constructed atop a cliff close to the Irish Sea. ...
This article is about the year. ...
Seal of Owain Glyndŵr The Arms of Powys and Deheubarth quartered, adopted by Owain Glyndŵr: Or and Gules, four Lions counterchanged Owain Glyndŵr (Pronounced IPA: ), or Owain Glyn Dŵr, anglicised by Shakespeare into Owen Glendower (c. ...
Henry V of England (16 September 1387 – 31 August 1422) was one of the great English warrior kings of the Middle Ages. ...
"Men of Harlech" is sometimes mistaken for the national anthem of Wales. This is incorrect; the Welsh anthem is "Hen Wlad fy Nhadau" ("Land of my Fathers"). Still, the song occupies an important place in Welsh national culture. It is often the regimental march of regiments historically associated with Wales. The Royal Regiment of Wales, now the Royal Welsh (UK), the Royal Canadian Hussars (Montreal) and the Governor General's Horse Guards, Canadian Forces are three examples. Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau (pronounced , usually translated as land of our fathers init, but literally old country of my fathers) is, by tradition, the national anthem of Wales. ...
This article is about the country. ...
The Royal Regiment of Wales is an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales Division. ...
The Royal Welsh is one of the new large infantry regiments of the British Army. ...
The Royal Canadian Hussars (Montreal) trace a direct lineage from the Montreal Volunteer Cavalry formed in the late eighteenth century. ...
The Governor Generals Horse Guards is an armoured militia (i. ...
The Canadian Forces (CF) (French: Forces canadiennes (FC)) are the unified armed forces of Canada, governed by the National Defence Act, which states: The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces. ...
The music was first published in 1784 as March of the Men of Harlech in The Musical and Poetical Relicks of the Welsh Bards. It first appeared with lyrics in Gems of Welsh Melody, edited by the Welsh poet, John Owen (Owain Alaw), published in London, England and Wrexham, Wales in 1860. The Welsh lyrics are by the Welsh poet John Jones (Talhaiarn), and the English lyrics by W.H. Baker. Since then, many different versions of the English lyrics have appeared. 1784 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ...
This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ...
This article is about Wrexham the settlement. ...
1860 is the leap year starting on Sunday. ...
John Jones (1810-1869), known by his bardic name of Talhaiarn, was a Welsh poet and architect. ...
The song gained international recognition when it was featured prominently in the film Zulu, although the version of lyrics sung in it were written especially for the film. Zulu is a 1964 adventure film depicting the Battle of Rorkes Drift between the British Army and the Zulus. ...
It was also used as part of the startup music for ITV station Teledu Cymru in the early 1960s and until recently in Fritz Spiegl's BBC Radio 4 UK Theme. The song features in an S4C television series Codi Canu, as an attempt is made to bring traditional four-part harmony choral singing back to the Welsh rugby terraces[citation needed]. For other uses, see ITV (disambiguation). ...
Teledu Cymru was the ITV service for Wales, providing a mix of English and Welsh language programmes, which was provided by Wales West and North Television from September 14, 1962 to January 26, 1964, and then by Television Wales and the West until 1968. ...
The 1960s decade refers to the years from the beginning of 1960 to the end of 1969. ...
Fritz Spiegl (27 January 1926 - 23 March 2003) was was born at Zurndorf, Austria, the son of an agricultural merchant and his Jewish wife. ...
The BBC Radio 4 UK Theme is a piece of music composed by Fritz Spiegl, played every morning on BBC Radio 4. ...
The tune is used for the alma mater song of Georgetown University and of Pine-Richland school district in Pennsylvania. Its melody is used for the March of the Yale Conservative Party. It is also the theme song to Sydney Technical High School, Bexley, Australia, St. Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace, Brisbane, Australia, Tantasqua Regional High School in Massachusetts, USA, Woodrow Wilson High School in Washington, D.C., USA, King's College, Hong Kong and The Mackay School in Viña del Mar, Chile. For other uses, see Alma mater (disambiguation). ...
Georgetown University is a Jesuit private university located in Georgetown, Washington, D.C. Father John Carroll founded the school in 1789, though its roots extend back to 1634. ...
Sydney Technical High School is an academically selective school for boys located in the suburb of Bexley in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. ...
// Bexley is a place in south east London in the London Borough of Bexley. ...
St. ...
For other uses, see Brisbane (disambiguation). ...
Tantasqua Regional High School is a public high school in south-central Massachusetts, that serves the towns of Brimfield, Brookfield, Holand, Sturbridge and Wales. ...
This article is about the U.S. state. ...
There are numerous Wilson High Schools in the United States, most named after the United States President Woodrow Wilson, including: Wilson Classical High School, Long Beach, California Wilson High School, Los Angeles, California Woodrow Wilson High School, Portland, Oregon Woodrow Wilson High School, Portsmouth, Virginia Woodrow Wilson High School, Beckley...
For other uses, see Washington, D.C. (disambiguation). ...
For other uses, see Kings College. ...
Coast of Viña del Mar Cerro Castillo Viña del Mar (Spanish for Vineyard of the Sea), also known locally as La Ciudad JardÃn (Spanish for The Garden City), is a thriving coastal city in central Chile, in the ValparaÃso Region and province. ...
An instrumental orchestration of the song was often used as a score for NFL Films during the 1960s and 1970s. NFL Films is a Mount Laurel, New Jersey-based company devoted to producing commercials, television programs, feature films, and documentaries on the National Football League, as well as other unrelated major events and awards shows. ...
The 1960s decade refers to the years from the beginning of 1960 to the end of 1969. ...
The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, also called The Seventies. ...
The Alma Mater of Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., also uses it as its tune. Those lyrics appear below.
The song is also sung by fans of Cardiff City Football Club minutes before kick-off before every home match at their ground. Current season Cardiff City Football Club (Welsh: Clwb Pêl-droed Dinas Caerdydd) is a football team based in Cardiff. ...
An adapted version is sung by the fans of Celtic Crusaders Rugby League Club. The Celtic Crusaders are a rugby league club based in Bridgend, Wales, United Kingdom. ...
Rugby league football is a full-contact team sport played with a prolate spheroid-shaped ball by two teams of thirteen on a rectangular grass field. ...
It is also used as the tune of a spoof song The Woad Ode. The Woad Ode is a humorous, anonymous song, set to the tune of Men of Harlech. ...
The music is used in the Sky One adaptation of Terry Pratchett's Hogfather, whilst the Unseen Univertisy Wizards are trying to cure Bilious's , the Oh God of Hangovers, hangover. The tone or style of this article or section may not be appropriate for Wikipedia. ...
Terry Pratchetts Hogfather is a two-part television adaptation of the book of the same name by Terry Pratchett, produced by The Mob, and broadcast on Sky One, and in High Definition on Sky One HD, over Christmas 2006. ...
See also: Discworld magic Some of the Discworld gods at Dunmanifestin. ...
Lyrics
There are numerous versions of "Men of Harlech". Those below are the most common English versions. See also The Woad Ode. The Woad Ode is a humorous, anonymous song, set to the tune of Men of Harlech. ...
John Oxenford version Verse 1
Men of Harlech, march to glory,
Victory is hov'ring o'er ye,
Bright-eyed freedom stands before ye,
Hear ye not her call?
At your sloth she seems to wonder;
Rend the sluggish bonds asunder,
Let the war-cry's deaf'ning thunder
Every foe appall.
Echoes loudly waking,
Hill and valley shaking;
'Till the sound spreads wide around,
The Saxon's courage breaking;
Your foes on every side assailing,
Forward press with heart unfailing,
'Till invaders learn with quailing,
Cambria ne'er can yield!
| Verse 2
Thou, who noble Cambria wrongest,
Know that freedom's cause is strongest,
Freedom's courage lasts the longest,
Ending but with death!
Freedom countless hosts can scatter,
Freedom stoutest mail can shatter,
Freedom thickest walls can batter,
Fate is in her breath.
See, they now are flying!
Dead are heap'd with dying!
Over might hath triumph'd right,
Our land to foes denying;
Upon their soil we never sought them,
Love of conquest hither brought them,
But this lesson we have taught them,
"Cambria ne'er can yield!" |
"Talhaiarn" version Verse 1
Glyndŵr, see thy comet flaming,
Hear a heavenly voice declaiming,
To the world below proclaiming,
Cambria shall be free:
While thy star on high is beaming,
Soldiers from the mountains teeming,
With their spears and lances gleaming,
Come to follow thee.
Hear the trumpet sounding
While the steeds are bounding,
On the gale from hill and dale,
The war-cry is resounding:
Warriors famed in song and story,
Coming from the mountains hoary,
Rushing to the fields of glory,
Eager for the fray:
To the valley wending,
Hearths and homes defending,
With their proud and valiant prince,
From ancient kings descending;
See the mighty host advancing,
Sunbeams on their helmets dancing,
On his gallant charger prancing,
Glyndŵr leads the way. | Verse 2
Now to battle they are going,
Every heart with courage glowing,
Pride and passion overflowing
In the furious strife:
Lo! the din of war enrages,
Vengeance crowns the hate of ages,
Sternly foe with foe engages,
Feeding Death with Life:
Hear the trumpets braying,
And the horses neighing,
Hot the strife while fiery foes
Are one another slaying;
Arrows fly as swift as lightning,
Shout on shout the tumult height'ning,
Conquest's ruddy wing is bright'ning,
Helmet, sword, and shield;
With their lances flashing,
Warriors wild are crashing,
Through the tyrant's serried ranks
Whilst onward they are dashing:
Now the enemy is flying,
Trampling on the dead and dying;
Victory aloft is crying,
"Cambria wins the field!" |
Zulu movie version Verse 1
Men of Harlech stop your dreaming
Can't you see their spear points gleaming
See their warrior pennants streaming
To this battlefield
Men of Harlech stand ye steady
It cannot be ever said ye
For the battle were not ready
Welshmen never yield
From the hills rebounding
Let this warcry sounding
Summon all at Cambria's call
The mighty force surrounding
Men of Harlech on to glory
This will ever be your story
Keep these burning words before ye
Welshmen will not yield Zulu is a 1964 adventure film depicting the Battle of Rorkes Drift between the British Army and the Zulus. ...
| (The above is sung almost twice in the film (the British open fire on the charging Zulus before the start of the final couplet), in counterpoint to the Zulu war chants and the sounds of their shields. Film editor John Jympson cut the scene to the song so that on either side of cuts where the British soldiers cannot be heard, the song is in the correct relative position.) Languages Zulu Religions Christian, African Traditional Religion Related ethnic groups Bantu Nguni Basotho Xhosa Swazi Matabele Khoisan The Zulu (South African English and isiZulu: amaZulu) are a South African ethnic group of an estimated 17-22 million people who live mainly in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. ...
English version by John Guard Verse 1
Tongues of fire on Idris flaring,
News of foemen near declaring,
To heroic deeds of daring,
Call you, Harlech men.
Groans of wounded peasants dying,
Wails of wives and children flying,
For the distant succour crying,
Call you, Harlech Men.
Shall the voice of wailing,
Now be an unavailing,
You to rouse, who never yet
In battle's hour were failing?
This our answer, crowds down pouring,
Swift as winter torrents roaring.
Not in vain the voice imploring
Calls on Harlech men.
Cadair Idris (or Cader Idris as it is generally known locally) is a prominent mountain in Snowdonia, north Wales. ...
| Verse 2
Loud the martial pipes are sounding,
Every manly heart is bounding,
As our trusted chief surrounding,
March we, Harlech men.
Short the sleep the foe is taking;
Ere the morrow's morn is breaking,
They shall have a rude awakening,
Roused by Harlech Men.
Mothers, cease your weeping,
Calm may be your sleeping,
You and yours in safety now,
The Harlech men are keeping.
Ere the sun is high in heaven,
They you fear, by panic riven,
Shall, like frightened sheep, be driven,
Far, by Harlech men.
|
Georgetown University Alma Mater Hail, oh Georgetown, Alma Mater,
Swift Potomac's lovely daughter,
Ever watching by the water,
Smiles on us today.
Now her children gather 'round her,
Lo, with garlands they have crowned her,
Reverent hands and fond enwound her,
With the Blue and Gray.
Chorus:
Wave her colors ever,
Furl her standards never,
But raise it high,
And proudly cry,
May Georgetown live forever.
Where Potomac's tide is streaming,
From her spires and steeples beaming,
See the grand old banner gleaming:
Georgetown's Blue and Gray.
Throned on hills beside the river,
Georgetown sees it flow forever,
Sees the ripples shine and shiver,
Watching night and day.
And each tender breeze upspringing,
Rarest woodland perfumes bringing,
All its folds to fullness flinging,
Flaunts the Blue and Gray.
Notes - ^ The Oxford Companion to British History - Oxford University Press (1997) page 454; Dictionary of Ancient & Medieval Warfare by Matthew Bennett (2001)
- ^ Bert S. Hall, Weapons and Warfare in Renaissance Europe by (The Johns Hopkins University Press,2001) - page 212.
- ^ Winnie Czulinski, Drone On!: The High History of Celtic Music (Sound And Vision, 2004) page 107.
Sources
External links - Cantorion - various arrangements for free download, CC-BY-SA license
- Men of Harlech - various versions of lyrics
- Royal Regiment of Wales' Band singing "Men of Harlech" (2.68MiB MP3) - recording in the church at Rorke's Drift, South Africa on the 120th anniversary of the Battle of Rorke's Drift.
| Patriotic music of the United Kingdom | | "Abide with Me" • "All Men Shall Be Free" • "Bro Goth Agan Tasow" • "Coronation Anthem" • "Come, all ye jolly Tinner boys" • "Crown Imperial March" • "Cwm Rhondda" • "Deo Gratias Anglia" • "Eternal Father, Strong to Save" • "Fantasia on British Sea Songs" • "Flower of Scotland" • "God Save the Queen" • "Hail to the Homeland" • "Heart of Oak" • "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau" • "Highland Cathedral" • "Home! Sweet Home!" • "It's a Long Way to Tipperary" • "I Vow to Thee, My Country" • "Jerusalem" • "Land of Hope and Glory" • "London Pride" • "Londonderry Air" • "Men of Harlech" • "Nimrod" • "Radio 4 UK Theme" • "Rose of England" • "Rule, Britannia!" • "Scotland the Brave" • "Scots Wha Hae" • "See the Conquering Hero" • "Soldiers of the King" • "The Bonnie Banks o' Loch Lomond" • "The British Grenadiers" • "The Roast Beef of Old England" • "The Saucy Arethusa" • "The Song of the Western Men" • "There'll Always Be an England" Abide With Me is a well-known Christian hymn composed by Henry Francis Lyte in 1847. ...
This article does not cite any references or sources. ...
Bro Goth Agan Tasow (Dear Land of Our Fathers) is the anthem of Cornwall. ...
Zadok the Priest being performed at the Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne in 2005 Zadok the Priest is a coronation anthem composed by George Frideric Handel (1685–1759) using texts from the King James Bible. ...
Crown Imperial is an orchestral march by the English composer William Walton written for the coronation of King George VI in 1937 and substantially revised in 1963. ...
Cwm Rhondda, the Welsh name for the Rhondda Valley, is a popular hymn tune written by John Hughes (1873-1932). ...
A 15th-century depiction of the Battle of Agincourt. ...
Eternal Father, Strong to Save, is a hymn often associated with the Royal Navy or the United States Navy. ...
Fantasia on British Sea Songs or Fantasy on British Sea Songs is a piece of classical music arranged by Sir Henry Wood in 1905 to mark the centenary of the Battle of Trafalgar. ...
The Scotland rugby team lines up for the national anthem Flower of Scotland (Flùr na h-Alba in Gaelic) is an unofficial national anthem of Scotland, a role for which it competes against the older Scotland the Brave. ...
For the song by the Sex Pistols, see God Save the Queen (Sex Pistols song). ...
Flag of Cornwall Hail to the Homeland is one of the unofficial anthems of Cornwall. ...
Heart of Oak is the official march of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom. ...
Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau (pronounced , usually translated as land of our fathers init, but literally old country of my fathers) is, by tradition, the national anthem of Wales. ...
Highland Cathedral is a popular bagpipe tune from Scotland. ...
Quotes ( both singing Home ) Buster: STOOOOOPPP!!! ...
This article does not cite any references or sources. ...
I Vow to Thee, My Country is an British patriotic song and Anglican hymn. ...
“Jerusalem (song)†redirects here. ...
Land of Hope and Glory is an English patriotic song. ...
London Pride is a song written and composed by Noel Coward. ...
The Londonderry Air (or Derry Air) is an anthem of Northern Ireland. ...
Variations on an Original Theme for orchestra, Op. ...
The BBC Radio 4 UK Theme is a piece of music composed by Fritz Spiegl, played every morning on BBC Radio 4. ...
Rose of England is a patriotic song written by Ivor Novello in 1937 for his musical Crest of the Wave, and popularised by Vera Lynn during the war years. ...
Rule, Britannia! is a British patriotic song, originating from the poem Rule, Britannia by James Thomson and set to music by Thomas Arne in 1740. ...
Scotland the Brave (Scottish Gaelic: Alba an Aigh) is a patriotic song and one of the main contenders to be considered as a national anthem of Scotland. ...
Scots Wha Hae (a calque on the English Scots Who Have; the traditional Scots idiom would be Scots That Haes; Scottish Gaelic: Brosnachadh Bhruis) is a patriotic song of Scotland which served for a long time as an unofficial national anthem of the country, but has lately been largely supplanted...
Joshua (HWV 64) is an oratorio by George Frideric Handel. ...
Soldiers of the King is a song written and composed by Leslie Stuart. ...
Loch Lomond Loch Lomond is a traditional Scottish song. ...
The British Grenadiers was a marching song for the grenadier units of the British military from the 17th Century to the 19th Century. ...
The Roast Beef of Old England is an English patriotic ballad by Richard Leveridge. ...
The Saucy Arethusa is a sea shanty which although usually considered traditional was possibly written by Prince Hoare[1], a comic opera librettist, in around 1832. ...
The Song of the Western Men is a song by Robert Stephen Hawker, and is better known in Cornwall, and overseas, by the title of Trelawny. (published in 1824). ...
Therell always be an England is an english patriotic song, popular in World War II, composed and written by Ross Parker & Harry Par-Davies in 1939. ...
| | |
Feeds |
Contact