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Home  »  The Oxford Book of Canadian Verse  »  John Campbell, Duke of Argyll (1845–1914)

The Oxford Book of Canadian Verse

Canada

John Campbell, Duke of Argyll (1845–1914)

A National Hymn

FROM our Dominion never

Take Thy protecting hand!

United, Lord, for ever

Keep Thou our fathers’ land!

From where Atlantic terrors

Our hardy seamen train,

To where the salt sea mirrors

The vast Pacific chain.

Ay one with her whose thunder

Keeps world-watch with the hours,

Guard Freedom’s home and wonder,

This Canada of ours.

Fair days of fortune send her,

Be Thou her Shield and Sun!

Our land, our flag’s Defender,

Unite our hearts as one!

One flag, one land, upon her

May every blessing rest!

For loyal faith and honour

Her children’s deeds attest.
Ay one with her, &c.

No stranger’s foot, insulting,

Shall tread our country’s soil;

While stand her sons exulting

For her to live and toil.

She hath the victor’s guerdon,

Hers are the conquering hours,

No foeman’s yoke shall burden

This Canada of ours.
Ay one with her, &c.

Our sires, when times were sorest,

Asked none but aid Divine,

And cleared the tangled forest,

And wrought the buried mine.

They tracked the floods and fountains,

And won, with master-hand,

Far more than gold in mountains,

The glorious Prairie-land.
Ay one with her, &c.

O Giver of earth’s treasure,

Make Thou our nation strong;

Pour forth Thine hot displeasure

On all who work her wrong!

To our remotest border

Let plenty still increase,

Let Liberty and Order

Bid ancient feuds to cease.
Ay one with her, &c.

May Canada’s fair daughters

Keep house for hearts as bold

As theirs who o’er the waters

Came hither first of old.

The pioneers of nations!

They showed the world the way;

’Tis ours to keep their stations,

And lead the van to-day.
Ay one with her, &c.

Inheritors of glory,

O countrymen! we swear

To guard the flag whose story

Shall onward victory bear.

Where’er through earth’s far regions

Its triple crosses fly,

For God, for home, our legions

Shall win, or fighting die!
Ay one with her, &c.