I recently learned more about the national anthem of Canada, my country. I was greatly surprised.

The words were written, originally in French, by Sir Adolphe-Basile Routhier. I never met the man. He died on June 27, 1920.

He was a lawyer and then a judge, but he was also a poet. Being talented with words, he used at least some of his spare time, it seems, to writing in ways that glorified God. One of his works became the national anthem of his country.

He would have had other choices for his spare time, as people do.

In my imagination, I picture him turning down an invitation to go to the local club, where there would be cigar smoke and gossiping among the men, each with his own motive. He thinks it would be better to go home and write some poetry near his wife and son. “Sorry men, I’ve got to go and write the future national anthem for a great nation. See you on Monday!”

(I wonder what the modern Canadian judge does in his spare time nowadays. A trip to Arizona, which is not even in Canada? A game of golf, perhaps? How about a round of bridge? Scrabble, with nonsensical words? Any board game that has its own dictionary is suspicious, as far as I’m concerned, kind of like a religion that writes a ‘better’ version of the Bible, adding and deleting books as it sees fit. Any version of the bible missing the Book of Tobit/Tobias, for example, is, well, a little too abridged for my tastes. The Revised Standard Version of the Bible is, as far as I know, the most authoritative English translation. From what I understand, the Catholic Church in Canada drags its feet in not using the RSV, preferring the more ‘politically correct’ New Revised Standard Version.)

But anyway, Sir Routhier’s biography on Wikipedia is pleasingly short.

And speaking of biographies, I’ve been thinking lately about the subject, and I very much appreciate the lines from Chesterton’s poem, To the Unknown Warrior. He is talking about the advantages of remaining hidden from the world. He is talking about how you and your name get used and abused if they become known.

Here are the first two stanzas from that poem.

To the Unknown Warrior

G.K. Chesterton

You whom the kings saluted; who refused not
The one great pleasure of ignoble days,
Fame without name and glory without gossip,
Whom no biographer befouls with praise.

Who said of you “Defeated”? In the darkness
The dug-out where the limelight never comes,
Nor the big drum of Barnum’s show can shatter
That vibrant stillness after all the drums.

I particularly like the image of being out of the limelight. It’s a nearly indescribable and unique feeling — the words nostalgic or bittersweet come to mind first – to stand in the darkness at an event as a fellow spectator when your heart is in it so fully.

But anyway, as for the anthem, I am very glad that nobody thought about altering the French version. What happened, instead, was the French version got translated badly into English, repeatedly. So we’ve never had a proper English version, as far as Wikipedia can tell.

We should be singing:

FIRST STANZA, in French

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.

So the first stanza should be translated something like this (I copy from Wikipedia here):

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.
Will protect our homes and our rights.

As any Canadian could testify, that is definitely not what we stand up and sing. This is not what we’re familiar with. We sing something quite different. We may think that the well-known English version is a ‘translation’ of the original French words, but the word ‘translation’ does not even apply in this case. What we sing in English can only be said to be an entirely different song. Even on the broadest definition of the word ‘translation,’ what we sing doesn’t qualify.

Here’s what we sing as the first stanza:

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.

I’m not saying it’s wretched as a song (especially by modern standards), and I’m not saying that we shouldn’t keep it in there as an introduction to the proper anthem (if someone were to ask my opinion), but it’s not the same song. It’s not a translation of the real thing. Going line by line, it’s just quite sad to see what was done to the words of Sir Adolphe-Basile Routhier, God rest his soul.

Where’s the reference to the cross, to the faith, to our “homes and our rights”? Where’s the reference to the garland of flowers and the sword?

What were the motivations of the so-called translators, that such words would be dropped? Ask any honourable translator whether this is quality work.

I’m dismayed by the difference, but the good news is that a very beautiful task awaits a talented and dedicated and diligent French to English translator-songwriter-poet. The anthem awaits you, hidden and ready for your gifts.

Perhaps you’ve already written it.

If so, I’ve got a Contact Page!

As for prizes, well, how about a chance at standing in the dug-out, where no limelight reaches you?

You could be a mostly-anonymous famous person! Chesterton says that’s the best place of all, and from what I can tell, he’s right, again.

And speaking of Chesterton, I should put the rest of his poem in here; it wouldn’t be good if people knew only the first part, the way Canadians know only the first part of their own anthem, and a terrible ‘translation’ at that.

(And I count myself among those who were ignorant about the stanzas beyond the first one. I am astounded that I was never taught the whole thing. If that’s not an indictment of the Canadian school system, then I don’t know what is.)

So first, here’s the whole poem that Chesterton wrote:

To the Unknown Warrior by G. K. Chesterton

You whom the kings saluted; who refused not
The one great pleasure of ignoble days,
Fame without name and glory without gossip,
Whom no biographer befouls with praise.

Who said of you “Defeated”? In the darkness
The dug-out where the limelight never comes,
Nor the big drum of Barnum’s show can shatter
That vibrant stillness after all the drums.

Though the time comes when every Yankee circus
Can use our soldiers for its sandwich-men,
When those that pay the piper call the tune,
You will not dance. You will not move again.

You will not march for Fatty Arbuckle,
Though he have yet a favourable press,
Tender as San Francisco to St. Francis
Or all the angels of Los Angeles.

They shall not storm the last unfallen fortress,
The lonely castle where uncowed and free,
Dwells the unknown and undefeated warrior
That did alone defeat Publicity.

Here are the remaining three verses of the anthem. They may not ‘flow’ yet, as they appear in English here, but Wikipedia tells me (does Wikipedia ever err?) that this is a literal translation of the whole thing. (I include the first stanza again, in order to keep it all together.)

O Canada
National Anthem of Canada

Literal translation of the French original,
as written by Sir Adolphe-Basile Routhier,
bless his soul.

 

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.
Will protect our homes and our rights.

Under the eye of God, near the giant river,
The Canadian grows hoping.
He was born of a proud race,
Blessed was his birthplace.
Heaven has noted his career
In this new world.
Always guided by its light,
He will keep the honour of his flag,
He will keep the honour of his flag.

From his patron, the precursor of the true God,
He wears the halo of fire on his brow.
Enemy of tyranny
But full of loyalty,
He wants to keep in harmony,
His proud freedom;
And by the effort of his genius,
Set on our ground the truth,
Set on our ground the truth.

Sacred love of the throne and the altar,
Fill our hearts with your immortal breath!
Among the foreign races,
Our guide is the law:
Let us know how to be a people of brothers,
Under the yoke of faith.
And repeat, like our fathers,
The battle cry: “For Christ and King!”
The battle cry: “For Christ and King!”

Ah, it is good.

And with a bit of re-arranging, it will be very beautiful to sing.

We need a proper anthem.

We Canadians have been too long asleep.

We have let the Supreme Court of Canada take over the governing of the people, and we have let them strike the good laws from our books. Our legislation is uniquely silent where it should be emphatically protective of the weak.

Who are these people who are so eager to send our country on a journey, untested in the history of humanity? They dismantle the boat of our civilization, stripping it of the masts and the sails and reducing it to a raft. Then they put the population on it. Bon voyage!

Who are these special interest groups who take our politicians on parades down the streets of our cities, beside a banner and flag that we do not recognize?

What is going on? Where’s our red maple leaf?

Where are the regular Canadians? Wake up! Consider our anthem!

It ain’t a lullaby, is it?

No indeed, it is not.

Whether you consider the “translation” (“God keep our land glorious and free”) or the original (“Fill our hearts with your immortal breath”), you will see – this is a prayer.

It’s also a battle cry! It’s time to reclaim our country. There’s someone on our side, and he’s got weapons made of stars.

It’s not Orion and the little dipper and the big dipper after all. That was just a bad translation.

It’s David, says GentleOne, the mystic. “Ah!” I said, because then I understood.

David has a little slingshot.

But he’s not alone.

There’s Someone with him, and He has a slingshot too.

Let us know how to be a people of brothers,
Under the yoke of faith.
And repeat, like our fathers,
The battle cry: “For Christ and King!”
The battle cry: “For Christ and King!”

Amen!