Trawsfynydd - Hedd Wyn Dechrau Canu Dechrau Canmol

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-"Only a purple moon

-on the edge of the bare mountain

-"And the sound of the river Prysor

-singing in the valley."

-We're on the banks of the Prysor

-mentioned in Hedd Wyn's words.

-He is one of our most iconic poets.

-This year marks the centenary of his

-death in the trenches in Belgium.

-We're in Trawsfynydd

-to commemorate him.

-Welcome

-to Dechrau Canu Dechrau Canmol.

-# Soli Deo gloria

-# Soli Deo gloria

-# Soli Deo gloria #

-The programme features quotes

-from some of Hedd Wyn's poems...

-..and performances

-from Meibion Prysor...

-..and the pupils

-of Ysgol Bro Hedd Wyn.

-"The poet didn't enter the trenches

-until he passed through them...

-"..for the major battle at dawn

-on the last day of July.

-"After a fierce battle,

-the objective was secured.

-"But at midday,

-while securing the new positions...

-"..and as the enemy continued

-to rain down projectiles...

-"..a grenade fragment

-hit the poet in the back...

-"..causing a deep wound.

-"He fell to the ground.

-"The battle was so intense...

-"..that there was no medical help

-to carry him away to safety.

-"His compatriots

-tried to tend his wounds...

-"..and ease his pain

-amid all the dangers.

-"But while he lay injured on

-the battlefield for three hours...

-"..not a moan or groan

-was heard from him...

-"..from midday

-until three in the afternoon...

-"..the same hours that the Hero

-of Heroes spent wounded...

-"..on the field

-of the Battle of Battles.

-"At three o'clock, the bearers came

-to carry him through the trenches.

-"But not far from the spot...

-"..the injured soldier

-had drawn his final breath...

-"..and the battle was over."

-"I go out into the eye of the storm

-"To roam around the hillsides

-"The rain can fall onto my clothes

-"The wind can sing as it pleases

-"I go out into the eye of the storm

-"No-one anywhere can hear me

-"No-one will light my path

-"Save the lightning

-in God's expanse

-"I go out into the eye of the storm

-"Through the acres

-of the ewe and the lamb

-"The storm laments on the mountains

-"Like a shard of pain's glory

-"The frenzied winds on the hillsides

-"Make tuneful harps of the reeds

-"Oh, carry, oh, carry my moans

-"To someone

-who will pay them some heed.

-"When my eyes close as I die

-"May the lightning flash

-across the valley

-"May the rain fall on the mountains

-"And may the wind

-sing as it pleases."

-"One day, on his adventure, he left

-"Leaving the splendid old land

-of his jovial fathers

-"Hereafter, the praise

-tells of his battles

-"On Europe's acres

-with their dark horizons

-"And in that distant songless land

-"The maimed warrior departed

-to the sound of artillery fire."

-"His sacrifice won't be forgotten

-"His dear face will be remembered

-"Even though Germany stained

-its iron fist in his blood."

-# Here is the day Jesus was seen

-# In the roughly-made manger

-# And God's angels singing

-# Above the fields of Bethlehem

-# Let us sing, let us sing

-# With the blessed angels of God

-# Though the crib

-be coldly cheerless

-# It received Him as a child once

-# When coming from the Glory

-# Towards the earth on its course

-# All the keys, all the keys

-# Of eternity are in His hand

-# Come, angels, again to sing

-# Above our old warring world

-# Sing to it about Jesus

-# Who can still all the battles

-# In the praise, in the praise

-# Let all the world's nations

-be united #

-"You loved to roam distant lands

-"Lands far across the sea

-"Sometimes, you returned

-to your mountain home

-"With a light and joyful heart

-"We saw you briefly

-before you returned

-"To the war that's shaking the world

-"You were filled with the songs

-of patriotism and bravery

-"The songs that cost so much

-"The whirlwind blows

-over Trawsfynydd's hills

-"In your wake, sorrowful its refrain

-"You, along with

-the inexhaustible battalion

-"Sleep a dreamless sleep in France."

-"His mother's grave

-is in Trawsfynydd

-"The habitat

-of the wind and the rain

-"And he sleeps on a pillow

-"In a distant foreign cemetery

-"He lived with gentleness and love

-filling his loyal heart

-"He died with affection in his eye

-"On the altar

-of his land's freedom."

-# We're the children of Bro Hedd Wyn

-# And we remember you

-# The gifted poet and shepherd

-# We treasure all your works

-# Your name is in our school's name

-# Your face is on our street

-# Your heart is in Yr Ysgwrn

-# You're still Trawsfynydd's son

-# Hedd Wyn, Hedd Wyn

-# You are famous, a man of note

-# And we will remember you

-# The gifted poet and shepherd

-# The "hero" of the black chair

-# Your name is in our school's name

-# Your face is on our street

-# Your heart is in Yr Ysgwrn

-# You're still Trawsfynydd's son

-# You're still Trawsfynydd's son

-# Hedd Wyn, Hedd Wyn #

-"Woe that I live in bitter days

-"As God is setting like a sun

-"And in his place, as lord and slave

-"Man raises forth his heinous throne

-"When he thought God

-was gone at last

-"He put his brother to the sword

-"Now death is roaring in our ears

-"Shadowing the shanties of the poor

-"The old and silenced harps are hung

-"On yonder willow trees again

-"The bawl of boys is on the wind

-"Their blood

-is blended in the rain."

-The Reverend Abi Williams

-was a chaplain in the trenches.

-This is how he described

-Hedd Wyn's funeral...

-..in Y Cymro on 28 November 1917.

-"It is not uninteresting to note...

-"..that he was buried not far

-from the Iron Cross on Pilkem Ridge.

-"The service

-was conducted in Welsh...

-"..by my friend,

-Chaplain D Morris Jones.

-"He didn't know at the time

-that he was burying a chaired poet.

-"It is interesting but sad

-to think of this today.

-Yes, Welsh accents were heard above

-the grave of the Trawsfynydd poet...

-"..and though the grave

-is in a foreign land...

-"..the atmosphere and the feelings

-were truly Welsh."

-S4C Subtitles by Testun Cyf.

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