Great (Hymn) One Liners: 3. God's Peace

It's St. David's Day - the national day of Wales - so it only seems right to have a hymn line from William Williams, the most famed welsh hymnwriter.  In this verse he is describing the peace of God:

O! anchwiliadwy fôr, Sy’n cynnwys ynddo’i hun Ryw annherfynol stôr;

The hymn is set in the context of battle but describes the Gospel as the banner that assures peace.  And in this line, O well of peace . . .

O deepest ocean, containing within it, unending stores.

As we have already seen in these blogs, the sea and the sky supply hymnwriters with the poetry of divine greatness - and in a troubled world, how wonderful to reflect that this metaphor of endlessness is also applicable to God's peace in which we rest day by day.

Happy St David's Day!

For all of us with family roots in Wales - you don't need to be much of a surname expert to know that must include me with a name like Roberts - this is a special day.  

Devotion to God has figured strongly in Welsh history - among other things.  Or should I write beneath other things.  My mother taught me this beautiful Welsh hymn, Calon Lân, when I was growing up.  I knew the words but didn't know what most of them meant, not being much of a welsh speaker.

Later I've found that to be a bit symbolic of welsh devotional music.  A singing, passionate nation of people holding forth words that go no deeper than the resonating back of our mouths.

You can hear this hymn sung at great sporting occasions, in pubs and bars, on carnival days.  Yet astonishingly the actual words of the last verse . . .

Hwyr a bore fy nymuniad

Esgyn ar adenydd cân

Ar i Dduw, er mwyn fy Ngheidwad,

Roddi i mi galon lân

translate something like . . . .

Evening and morning my wish

Rises on the wing of song,

To God, for the sake of my Saviour,

Give me a pure heart.

It's certainly an awesome prayer if we can ever mean it!

Happy St David's Day!

Kind of the Welsh version of Auld Lang Syne!  Is it just my welsh blood that thinks there's no real comparison?

Happy St David's Day!!

Happy St David's Day!

Dydd Gwyl Dewi hapus!