Image courtesy of Wikicommons.

On Saturday, July 1st, Canadians (and the world – many cities lit up their important buildings in red and white) celebrated 150 years of innovation, art, and history. This holiday exists to recognize the passing of the Constitutional Act of 1867 which united the colonies of Canada, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia into one. Much like the USA’s 4th of July and France’s Bastille Day, citizens celebrate the ‘birth’ of their countries by watching parades, pigging out at barbecues, and setting off fireworks.

Canada’s given us a lot – le sirop d’érable (maple syrup), snowmobiles, IMAX, Trivial Pursuit, and arguably the best thing to come out of Canada: poutine. You’ve certainly heard of some of her famous singers: Celine Dion, Justin Bieber, Shania Twain, Leonard Cohen, Bryan Adams, and Alanis Morissette, just to name a few. Some good musicians, but have you heard of Adople-Basile Routhier?

In 1880, Lieutenant Governor of Quebec Théodore Robitaille commissioned a song for the celebration of Saint-Jean-Bapsite Day. Calixa Lavallée composed the music, and Routhier, a judge, author, and lyricist, penned the original French lyrics which remain unchanged to this day.

Fun fact: the opening of the Canadian National anthem is strikingly similar to the March of the Priests from Mozart’s opera “The Magic Flute,” so it would seem Mozart should get a little credit, too.

The song “O Canada” was first sung on June 24, 1880, and just over a hundred years later on July 1, 1980, the piece was officially adopted as Canada’s national anthem.

Canada is a bilingual country with both English and French listed as official languages. Because of this, their national anthem exists in both languages. In 1908, Robert Stanley Weir wrote a translation which has become the official version. The lyrics have since been revised twice, and since 1980, it’s remained the version we know today.

Let’s take a listen! Below are the lyrics with a literal translation.

Ô Canada !
O Canada!
Terre de nos aïeux,
Land of our ancestors
Ton front est ceint de fleurons glorieux!
Glorious deeds circle your brow
Car ton bras sait porter l’épée,
For your arm knows how to wield the sword
Il sait porter la croix!
It knows how to carry the cross;
Ton histoire est une épopée
Your history is an epic
Des plus brillants exploits.
Of brilliant deeds
Et ta valeur, de foi trempée,
And your valour steeped in faith
Protégera nos foyers et nos droits.
Will protect our homes and our rights.
Protégera nos foyers et nos droits.