I’m hard pressed to know what to say about death. Always a shock even if expected but shock upon shock, reverberations when unexpected. Such it has been for Ross Broadstock the guiding light of BritainsHiddenHistory channel on youtube who died of a heart attack, too young, too vibrant.
He leaves an ongoing priceless legacy in the bringing to light the works of Wilson and Blackett, historians of the highest calibre and in the personal ‘out in the field’ research that Ross achieved.
I never met Ross in person but felt as though I’d got to know something of the essence of the man by virtue of his videos.
‘Fare thee well’, Ross. I’d been trying for months to get a phonetic version of that glorious Welsh song ‘Yma o Hyd’ – much loved world wide but difficult to sing for a non Welsh speaker. Ross also enjoyed trying to sing this song. I finally managed to write a reasonably o.k. phonetic version which I’d have sent to Ross had he not died.
An English translation of the chorus reads “We are still here. We are still here. Despite everyone and everything, we are still here.” Poignant, given the circumstance.
This is the video. There is a free, downloadable mp3 on the music page here.
These are the phonetic lyrics.
DOIT TEAMYN COVIO MACSEN
DOICE NERE BENEE NABO DOR
MY MILL ACH WAY CANT O FLYNETHOI
EN AMSER HE HIR I’R COR
PANNETH MAGNUS MAXIMUS O GUMRI
AN EN FLOYTHEN TRI CHANT WITH TREE
AN GADAEL AN GENED L GUFAN
A HETHUW WELE NI
RINNEE YAMA O HEED
RINNEE YAMA O HEED
ER GWYTHER PAWB A FOPETH x 3
RINNEE YAMA O HEED
HOOKTHED AH GWINT OR DEWRYNE
RHEE-ED AH STARM OR MORE
HOCHTED AH MARE ER WIBREN
AH GWEETHED AH DARAN ENCOR
THLEAVE-ED DAGRAUR GWANGALLON
A THLUVED A TIE-OG A THLAWR
ER DEE-ED YUR VAXEE ON COUMPASS
RINI BAROD OM DORIAD A WAWR
RINNEE YAMA O HEED etc
COVEEYO KNEE VACSEN WLEDIG
AARDILE EIN GWLAD INUN DARN
A BLOITHION GEBRON A GWLEDITH
CULL HAMA HEED DEETH A VARN
ER GWYTHER POB DICK-SION DAVITH
ER GWYTHER EN VACHEE ECHREW
BURTH A DAMA HEED DEWETH AMSER
A BITHREE-AITH GYMRAEG IN VIEW
RINNEE YAMA O HEED etc x 2
As for who IS the Mascen Wledig mentioned in the song – ancestors and descendants – a screenshot here of the charts courtesy of Ross.
