O Canada

O Canada, Canada's national anthem, was originally written in the late 1800s with the English version developed in the first few decades of the 20th century. Predictably, it reflected things that were important to the people of that time.
 
  1. Identify two themes that are present in both the English and French lyrics.
  2. Identify at list one theme that appears in the French but not the English.
  3. Identify at least one theme that appears in the English but not in the French.
O Canada!

Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!
From far and wide,
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

 

O Canada! Where pines and maples grow.
Great prairies spread and lordly rivers flow.
How dear to us thy broad domain,
From East to Western sea.
Thou land of hope for all who toil!
Thou True North, strong and free!


O Canada! Beneath thy shining skies
May stalwart sons, and gentle maidens rise,
To keep thee steadfast through the years
From East to Western sea.
Our own beloved native land!
Our True North, strong and free!
Refrain
Ruler supreme, who hearest humble prayer,
Hold our Dominion in thy loving care;
Help us to find, O God, in thee
A lasting, rich reward,
As waiting for the better Day,
We ever stand on guard.
 
(Lyrics developed by late 1920s.)
Ô Canada!

Terre de nos aïeux,
Ton front est ceint de fleurons glorieux!
Car ton bras sait porter l'épée,
Il sait porter la croix!
Ton histoire est une épopée
Des plus brillants exploits.
Et ta valeur, de foi trempée,
Protégera nos foyers et nos droits.

Protégera nos foyers et nos droits.


Translation:
O Canada!
Land of our forefathers,
Thy brow is wreathed with a glorious
garland of flowers.
As is thy arm ready to wield the sword,
So also is it ready to carry the cross.
Thy history is an epic
Of the most brilliant exploits.
Thy valour steeped in faith
Will protect our homes and our rights

(Lyrics, 1880)

 Since songs reflect the time in which they are written, your challenge is to write two new verses for O Canada.
  1. One verse should reflect the way Canada is today.
    •  It should be in good taste and be something you'd be willing to sing in front of your mother and father.
    • While it should reflect the way society is, it shouldn't have rude or questionable language, even if society is not always that great.
  2. The other verse should reflect the way Canada should be.
    • This verse should also be tasteful.
    • It should be optimistic in tone.
  3. If you need the melody to O Canada, here it is: O Canada Melody .
  4. You may work on this with a partner if you like, or, if you're musically talented, you may work on it all by yourself.

Evaluation

 Verse reflecting society today
 /5
 Verse reflecting ideal society
 /5
 Reasonably fits O Canada tune
 /5

ċ
O-Canada-Inst.MP3.mp3
(1594k)
James Dykstra,
Oct 20, 2010, 11:01 AM
v.2
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