Welsh Song : Tecwyn Ifan "Gwaed Ar Yr Eira Gwyn"

Tecwyn Ifan singing "Gwaed Ar Yr Eira Gwyn. " I have thought about posting this song for a long time, From a tape I bought in Skye twenty-five years ago. Happily now available on CD.

Deep in the land
The men sleep
Their bodies lie
In the earth of their land

They lost the day
Between these hills
Their blood dried
On the white snow

The men's blood
On the white snow
Blood on the white snow

The valley is cold
The fire extinguished
The birds flew away
Their song silenced

An eternal dream died here
That's the blood
On the white snow

The men's blood
On the white snow
Blood on the white snow

No cross can be seen
No grave was prepared
Their bodies were abandoned
To lie in peace

They were abandoned
To sleep like this
While the blood remains
On the white snow

The men's blood
On the white snow
Blood on the white snow

The men's blood
On the white snow
Blood on the white snow

"I did not know then how much was ended, When I look back now from this high hill of my old age, I can still see the butchered women and children lying heaped and scattered all along the crooked gulch as plain as when I saw them with eyes still young. And I can see that something else died there in the bloody mud, and was buried in the blizzard. A people's dream died there. It was a beautiful dream... The nation's hoop is broken and scattered. There is no center any longer, and the sacred tree is dead." Black Elk of the Lakota.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Uistman59
• Welsh
• Cymru
• Cymraeg
• Tecwyn
• Ifan
• Gwaed
• Ar
• Yr
• Eira
• Gwyn
• Wounded
• Knee
• 1890

[griffcats]

There has been a lot of blood on the snow in Wales over the centuries. The Welsh defended their homeland from the Irish, the Vikings, and of course, the English. Driven into the mountains, then back down again. Down the mines and up the mountains. And yet, as Dafydd Iwan says, Yma O Hyd..We are still here...and I mean that for the Welsh, as I am only a half welsh american now. Diolch yn fawr for this enchanting video

[UISTMAN59]

@griffcats Thanks for the note. There has been a lot of blood spilt in most places on this planet over the centuries but this is not about Wales but specifically about the events at Wounded Knee in late December 1890.

[littlegreeneighbour]

Great song, great text. Thank you so much for sharing.

I'm looking for the complete lyrics in Welsh, I googled but didnt find them. Anyone know where I can find them?

[UISTMAN59]

@littlegreeneighbour You can contact Tecwyn Ifan directly or buy the CD "Goreuon" or possibly the versions by Alun Tan lan or 9Bach which might also have the lyrics listed :-)

[retr0pedr0]

are there anywhere the welsh lyrics available ? .. i searched but didnt find any ... 

[UISTMAN59]

@3tangle3 Aye, "some" do! "some" Scots voted for independence, "some" welsh folk do and, elsewhere, "some" basques, "some" Punjabis etc. The tail will never wag the dog.

[3tangle3]

@UISTMAN59 some of the lakota tribe delcared independence

[seonidh]

beautiful, beautiful, beautiful song greetings from Hen Ogleth scotland your sister celtic country

[UISTMAN59]

@AKVideography There are no Gaelic words for it and it may be helpful to know that there are eighteen letters in the Gaelic alphabet. It does not have J K Q V W X Y or z. I have searched Google and found that there is another version of this song by the Welsh group 9bach with translation of the words (which you would also find on the right hand side on my posting) I have provided a translation of the words. The words "Gwaed Ar Yr Eira Gwyn" mean "Blood on the white snow"

[UISTMAN59]

@AKVideography It is a Welsh song, as stated in the title. This is not the only song on Youtube by Tecwyn Ifan There is another called 'Y Dref Wen' which is the top result in searching for Tecwyn Ifan and it is based on the 7th century defeat of the Welsh on the border and the effects of the defeat on the families concerned.