Yma o Hyd
YMA O HYD is a well-known Welsh protest and cultural anthem written and performed by the Welsh singer and activist Dafydd Iwan in 1983. The song celebrates the survival of the Welsh people, language, and culture despite centuries of political domination and cultural pressure.
The title phrase Yma O Hyd literally means ‘still here’ or ‘we are still here’. The song tells the story of Wales from the time of the Roman Empire through the arrival of Anglo-Saxon and Norman powers, emphasizing that although powerful empires have come and gone, the Welsh nation and language have endured.
In recent years the song has experienced a major revival and has become strongly associated with Welsh national pride. It is frequently sung by supporters of the Welsh national football team and has become a powerful symbol of cultural resilience and identity.
The message of the song is simple but powerful: even after centuries of political and cultural challenges, the Welsh people and their language remain alive and strong — “still here.”
Featured below on the YouTube channel of the Welsh public broadcast service S4C, Dafydd Iwan sings a new version of Yma o Hyd to support Wales’s national football team in their campaign to reach the World Cup. Watch along and experience his passion, along with English translation.
Yma o Hyd Lyrics
Dwyt ti’m yn cofio Macsen?
Does neb yn ei nabod o.
Mae mil a chwe chant o flynyddoedd Yn amser rhy hir i’r cof
Ond aeth Magnus Maximus o Gymru
Yn y flwyddyn tri-chant-wyth-tri,
A’n gadael yn genedl gyfan
A heddiw, wele ni!
Ry’n ni yma o hyd;
Ry’n ni yma o hyd;
Er gwaetha pawb a phopeth;
Er gwaetha pawb a phopeth;
Er gwaetha pawb a phopeth;
Ry’n ni yma o hyd.
Ry’n ni yma o hyd;
Er gwaetha pawb a phopeth;
Er gwaetha pawb a phopeth;
Er gwaetha pawb a phopeth;
Ry’n ni yma o hyd.
Chwythed y gwynt o’r dwyrain.
Rhued y storm o’r môr.
Hollted y mellt yr wybren,
A gwaedded y daran encor.
Llifed ddagrau’r gwangalon,
A llyfed y taeog y llawr.
Er dued y fagddu o’n cwmpas
Ry’n ni’n barod am doriad y wawr!
Ry’n ni yma o hyd;
Ry’n ni yma o hyd;
Er gwaetha pawb a phopeth;
Er gwaetha pawb a phopeth;
Er gwaetha pawb a phopeth;
Ry’n ni yma o hyd.
Ry’n ni yma o hyd;
Er gwaetha pawb a phopeth;
Er gwaetha pawb a phopeth;
Er gwaetha pawb a phopeth;
Ry’n ni yma o hyd.
Cofiwn i Facsen Wledig
Adael ein gwlad yn un darn,
A bloeddiwn gerbron y gwledydd
Byddwn yma hyd Ddydd y Farn!
Er gwaetha pob Dic Sion Dafydd,
Er gwaetha y gelyn a’i griw,
Byddwn yma hyd ddiwedd amser
A bydd yr iaith Gymraeg yn fyw!
Ry’n ni yma o hyd;
Ry’n ni yma o hyd;
Er gwaetha pawb a phopeth;
Er gwaetha pawb a phopeth;
Er gwaetha pawb a phopeth;
Ry’n ni yma o hyd.
Ry’n ni yma o hyd;
Er gwaetha pawb a phopeth;
Er gwaetha pawb a phopeth;
Er gwaetha pawb a phopeth;
Ry’n ni yma o hyd.