The Welsh National Anthem for non Welsh speakers:

[Dennis R. Preston]

I'm more fond of these things than I realized, but I have another point. I
was amazed the other day to discover that a Brit colleague didn't have a
clue that the euphemized "w*anker" (i.e., "wanker") in this cited posting
is (nearly) unknown on this side of the pond (Anglophiles, tweedy academic
types, and Brit-film buffs to the contrary notwithstanding). Idnit the
case?

dInIs

>Don't know if any of you have seen this, but I got the -um- nmemonic and
>was then quite curious about the original.  Rima
>
>Here are both:
>
>>>>Thought you might like this which appeared in my newspaper last weekend. It
>>>>was inspired by the hilarious discomfort of an ex Conservative minister,
>>>>John Redwood when, as Welsh Secretary a few years ago, television viewers
>>>>were able to delight in his totally inept attempts to sing along to his
>>>>vassals' national anthem. We might all have had plenty of sympathy for him
>>>>- after all Welsh is an appallingly difficult language to learn with w's,
>>>>d's, r's, t's, h's and l's outnumbering vowels by about 8 to 1 - if he
>>>>hadn't been such an arrogant w*nker.
>>>>
>>>>I'll bet he wishes he'd been given this mnemonic, which apparently will
>>>>fool any observers, out of earshot and who are not both skilled in lip
>>>>reading and fluent in Welsh:
>>>>
>>>>My hen laid a haddock, one hand oiled a flea,
>>>>Glad farts and centurions threw dogs in the sea
>>>>I could stew a hare here and brandish Dan's flan,
>>>>Don's ruddy bog's blocked up with sand.
>>>>Dad! Dad! Why don't you oil Auntie Glad?
>>>>Can't whores appear in beer bottle pies?
>>>>O butter the hens as they fly!
>>>>
>>>>Keep a copy to hand - you never know when it might come in useful.
>
> And the original.  (And people wondered why I had difficulty doing the
>prons on Welsh entries...)
>
>Mae Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau
>
>                                 Mae hen wlad fy nhadau yn annwyl i mi,
>                                Gwlad beirdd a chantorion, enwogion o fri,
>                                 Ei gwrol ryfelwyr, gwladgarwyr tra mad,
>                                    Dros ryddid collasant eu gwaed
>
>                                  Gwlad! gwlad! pleidiol wyf i'm gwlad;
>                                     Tra mor yn fur i'r bur hoff bau,
>                                     O! bydded i'r heniaith barhau.

Dennis R. Preston
Department of Linguistics and Languages
Michigan State University
East Lansing MI 48824-1027 USA
preston at pilot.msu.edu
Office: (517)353-0740
Fax: (517)432-2736