“LAND OF MY FATHERS.”

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 381, 5 May 1908, Page 3

“LAND OF MY FATHERS.”

The following is a translat ion of the Welch National Anthe m : Land of my fathers, how dear thou art to me The land of sweet songsters, the famed and the free ! Brave heroes of battle, proud patriots has bred, Whose hearts for thy freedom have bled. Wales, Wales, fondly I love thee, sweet Wales, While ocean wave thy shore doth lave ; 0!i, long live thy language, sweet Wales! Old mountainous Cambria, delight of the bard. Each crag aud each valley I fondly regard ; Attuned to my heart's deep devotion to luce, Thy streams murmur music to me. If foes have o’erwheimed thee, so quenchless thy pride, The hand of Oppression thy Muse hath defied. Thy language triumphant, still lives in thy vales. Lrnsilcuccd the sweet harp of Wales. Wales, Wales, fondly I love thee, sweet Wales, While ocean wave thy shore doth lave ; Oh, long live thy language, sweet Wales! Last Saturday’s mail brought us a letter from an octogenarian relative in Cardiff, Wales, ex-Sub-Superindent aud Inspector of Police, Thos. Hornblow. The old gentleman refers with pardonable pride to the fact that he has lived during the reign of four British sovereigns, viz., King George iv., William iv., Victoria aud Edward vii. The old gentleman’s family consisted of a baker’s dozen, eight boys and five girls, and he can reckon up 28 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Referring to the recent growth of population he states that half a mile from bis house is the town of Penarth with its huge dock aud population of 40 thousand and four miles from Penarth is Barry Dock with a population of fifty thousand. These places have sprung up within the last 20 years.