OH (NO) CANADA. OH BROTHER (OOPS AND OH SISTER).

O Canada is a lyrical poem written by Adolphe-Basile Routhier and set to music by Calixa Lavallée who left behind Canada to serve with the 4th Rhode Island Volunteers of the Union army during the War Between the States.



In 1880, Lieutenant Governor of Quebec Théodore Robitaille commissioned Lavallée to compose the song, which became Canadians' national anthem one hundred years later in 1980.

Routhier wrote the poem in his French. In 1906, Robert Stanley Weir loosely translated the poem into English. Weir tried his hand at it again in 1908. It is Weir's 1908  version, which became the version sung at most every hockey game played across Canada.

Now, too-much-time-on-his-hands Canadian politician Mauril Belanger has introduced a bill to change two words from thy sons to of us. The Liberal Party meddler Belanger believes that without such changes, O Canada is not inclusive enough. It surprises that meddler Belanger hasn't protested against the word God in the seventh line of the poem.

The word son is an Old English word. Son means descendant as well as  immediate male offspring.

English reveals reverence for females with female-specific words — daughter. English lacks the same reverence for males. Words for males also get spoken when sex lacks relevancy. Sons is one of those words.

The word man means person. Men, the plural for man, means persons. Mankind means people. And world means all men (persons) everywhere on earth. And no, the world doesn't mean the earth, though many weak speakers of English believe so, wrongly.

All of those words — man, men, mankind, world — are bedrock English words spoken by Germanic ancestors of all Englishmen, Canadians and Americans who have Germanic ancestors.

A literal translation of the poem reveals a fiery Canadian who is willing to take up sword and cross to forge an epic history.

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

The 1908 translation comes across as something Bob and Doug MacKenzie might have sung, reducing Canadians to rent-a-cop security guards.

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.

If Canadians are going to buckle under to cranks like Mauril Belanger, they might has fix the song in full to reflect reality. Here is my gift to Canadians: O Canada, 2014.

O Canada! (village!)
Our home and once the natives' land (reservations!)
True multicultural legality in all political command.
With indifferent hearts we see thee rise,
The True North once strong, now wimpy!
From far and wide,
O Canada, we skate on ice for thee (hockey!)
For glorious two-four, Canadians keep the queen!
O Canada, we skate on ice for thee (hockey!)
O Canada, we skate on ice for thee (hockey!)

Enjoy native Canadian William Shatner having a go at making O Canada fit into the vision of the Belanders of Canada.




As a bonus, enjoy Geddy Lee, bassist of Rush, the Canadian band inducted into both the Canadian Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the American Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.