Met ar Franked oa krenvoc'h, aloubiñ hor bro 'benn ar fin

'Ziwar c'horr' 'reas kentoc'h Karl Der Grosse warlec'h Pepin

'Oa roue-veur ar Germaned, skoazellet ga' 'n Ilis roman


Warlec'h marw Carlus Magnus, kement trubuilh a oa mem'stra

E vab, a oa Loeiz, a galwas Nevenoe, prins breizhad

'Wid boud gouarner ar Vretoned dindan urzh ar Germaned


Ar paotr-se 'oa speredeg, asantiñ'reas o soñjal

'Wefe 'n tu d'unaniñ Breizh ha da renko 'n traoù barzh 'vro-man


Ur mennozh en oa 'barzh e benn, 'drec'has ket Ludwig an Devod

Met pa varwas ar roue german, Nevenoe 'oa distaget

Breizh 'oa unanet hag aozet mat hag e youc'has : "Breizh dishual !"


Mab Ludwig, Karl Der Kahle, a zeuas gant un arme vras

Gouneit eo bet ar bresel ga'r Vretoned'barzh ker Ballon


E bloaz eizh kant pemp ha daou-ugent 'r maout'aet da Nevenoe

Ha' rhoet lans da Rouantelezh Vreizh gant e vab Erispoe

Kontinuiñ'reas 'r Vikinged da drubuilhiñ an dud 'barzh Breizh

Met peoc'h 'walc'h 'oa d'ar mare-se 'wid aozañ 'vuhez sokial reizh

Peoc'h a-walc'h 'oa 'wid sewel ur C'Hultur uhel 'wid 'n amser-sen


Rouantelezh Vreizh 'oa 'n tamm c'hoazh ur gevredigezh geltiek

Yezh ar Bobl ha yezh ar Stad a oa Brezhoneg


'Sevenadur-se oa staget c'hoazh doh 'pobloù keltieg all

'Levezon don 'neus bet Keltia war hanter kentañ 'Grennamser


Adousset un tamm 'n eus gwraet 'gizioù kaled ar Germaned

Barzh 'n Europa tost peplec'h a oa he 'r mestred.


But the Franks were stronger still :

Karl der Grosse,

Emperor of Germany,

With the church's help victorious.


Trouble after Carlus died

And so they asked a Breton prince to

Be their man in Brittany

And his name war Nominoe.


He took the job, he realised here

Was a chance to unify us

For if the Breton folk were one no

Other country could defy us.


He was true to the German king

But when good Ludwig died

He gave the land his loyalty.

"Brittany be free" he cried.


With an army came the Franks

To the village called Ballon

And he vanquished Karl der Kahle

By the time that day was done.


And with his son we made him the king

Of our first Breton kingdom.

The year eight hundred and forty-five

And Erispoë he followed after.

Sometimes Brittany war troubled

Still with Vikings from the North Sea

But when we could live in peace

We built a life the whole world envied.


We followed ancient Celtic customs,

United we were never conquered,

State and people spoke one language

And we ruled ourselves in concord.


With the Celts in other countries

We could see a common culture

And throughout the Middle Ages

Celtic influence was stronger.


Even the German hearts were softened

From their harsh rule over Europe.

Though they had a Holy Empire

The Celtic way was still enduring.