Scripture Verse

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord. Psalm 33:12

Introduction

portrait
Alexander Muir (1830–1906)

Words & Mu­sic: Al­ex­an­der Mu­ir, 1867 (🔊 pdf nwc). Mu­ir wrote this song in the year of Ca­na­da’s fe­der­ation, while prin­ci­pal of the Les­lie­ville Pub­lic School in To­ron­to.

Lyrics

In days of yore, from Bri­tain’s shore,
Wolfe, the daunt­less hero, came
And plant­ed firm Bri­tan­nia’s flag
On Ca­nada’s fair do­main!
Here may it wave, our boast, our pride,
And join in love to­ge­ther,
The This­tle, Sham­rock, Rose en­twine,
The Ma­ple Leaf for­ev­er.

Refrain

The Ma­ple Leaf, our em­blem dear,
The Ma­ple Leaf for­ev­er!
God save the King and Hea­ven bless
The Ma­ple Leaf for­ev­er!

At Queens­ton Heights and Lun­dy’s Lane
Our brave fa­thers side by side
For free­dom’s right and loved ones dear
Firmly stood and no­bly died.
And those dear rights which they main­tained
We swear to yield them ne­ver
Our watch­word ev­er­more shall be
The Ma­ple Leaf for­ev­er.

Refrain

Our fair do­min­ion now ex­tends
From Cape Race to Noot­ka Sound;
May peace for­ev­er be our lot
And plen­te­ous store abound;
And may those ties of love be ours
Which dis­cord can­not se­ver,
And flour­ish green o’er free­dom’s home
The Ma­ple Leaf for­ev­er.

Refrain

On mer­ry Eng­land’s far-famed land
May kind Hea­ven sweet­ly smile;
God bless old Scot­land ev­er­more
And Ire­land’s Em­er­ald Isle.
Then swell the song both loud and long,
Till rocks and for­est qui­ver;
God save our King and Hea­ven bless
The Ma­ple Leaf for­ev­er!

Refrain