Ar Hyd y Nos explained

"Ar Hyd y Nos" is a Welsh song sung to a tune that was first recorded in Edward Jones' Musical and Poetical Relics of the Welsh Bards (1784). The most commonly sung Welsh lyrics were written by John Ceiriog Hughes (1832-1887), and have been translated into several languages, including English (most famously by Harold Boulton (1859–1935)[1]) and Breton. One of the earliest English versions, to different Welsh lyrics by one John Jones, was by Thomas Oliphant in 1862.[2]

The melody is also used in the hymns "Go My Children With My Blessing” (text by Jaroslav Vajda, 1983), “God That Madest Earth and Heaven” (1827) and "Father in your Love Enfold Us[3] ".

The song is highly popular with traditional Welsh male voice choirs, and is sung by them at festivals in Wales and around the world.[4]

The song is also sometimes considered a Christmas carol, and as such has been performed by many artists on Christmas albums, including Olivia Newton-John and Michael McDonald, who sang it as a duet on Newton-John's 2007 album Christmas Wish.Cerys Matthews sang it solo on her 2010 album Tir.[5]

Lyrics

Singable English lyrics to the same tune were written by Sir Harold Boulton in 1884:[7]

Variations

There is evidence that the song has undergone the folk process to some degree, yielding several similar but modified versions.[8] In one alternative version, the second verse is substituted with:

Another alternative version features a more neutral, night song text:

Yet another alternative version of the second verse is as follows:

A. G. Prys-Jones wrote a more literal but still singable and rhyming version:

The tune is also used in the hymn "For the Fruit of All Creation" by Fred Pratt Green.[11] The first verse of Green's lyrics (used widely in the harvest season and at Thanksgiving) ends with these words: "For the plowing, sowing, reaping, silent growth while we are sleeping, / Future needs in earth's safekeeping, thanks be to God."

In popular culture

In music

In film

In television

In video games

See also

References

  1. Krehbiel, Henry Edward, ed. Famous Songs. Cincinnati: John Church Co., 1902.
  2. published in Welsh Melodies, With Welsh And English Poetry, by John Jones (Talhaiarn) & Thomas Oliphant. Author: John Thomas
  3. Web site: Father in your Love Enfold Us - All thru the Night .
  4. Book: Hywel, John. Famous Songs of Wales/Caneuon Enwog Cymru. Penygroes, Caernarfon. Gwynn. 1987. 0-900426-60-8.
  5. Web site: TIR - Cerys Matthews - iTunes Preview. Rainbow City Records. 30 May 2013.
  6. Web site: Ar Hyd Y Nos/All Through The Night. Cymdeithas Madog. 23 February 2013.
  7. Web site: Hymnary.org entry .
  8. Web site: All Through the Night (Ar Hyd Y Nos) . Fresno State - The Ballad Index . . 2020-07-12 . I've seen a text which is about 95% identical to the one I know (too close to be an independent translation), but with some different words. - RBW .
  9. All Through the Night Translation, http://www.mcglaun.com/thru_night.htm
  10. Free Sheet music of All through the night, http://www.labbe.de/liederbaum/index.asp?themaid=5&titelid=83
  11. Hymnal "Praise for the Lord" #919, words copyright 1970 by Hope Publishing Co.
  12. Web site: UR Research . University of Rochester Research . 2022-02-09 . v. l. no.1. All through the night .
  13. Web site: Who wrote Hymns and Arias and what's it about? Why is it sung at Wales rugby matches? . Jones . Victoria . 5 October 2015 . . 4 August 2018.
  14. Web site: Kingston Trio - Last Month of the Year . Discogs . 1960 . 2022-05-09 .
  15. Web site: A Run for Your Money (1949). .
  16. Web site: The Proud Valley . Library of Congress . 26 January 2020.

External links