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O Canada
The National Anthem of Canada
by   tune:
In English

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, glorious and free!
We stand on guard for thee!

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 Fatherland, our Motherland!
Our True North, strong and free!
O Canada, glorious and free!
We stand on guard for thee!

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.
O Canada, glorious and free!
We stand on guard for thee!
En Francaise

O 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.

Sous l'oeil de Dieu, près du fleuve géant,
Le Canadien grandit en espérant.
Il est né d'une race fière;
Béni fut son berceau.
Le ceil a marqué sa carrière
Dans ce monde nouveau:
Toujours guidé par sa lumière,
Il gardera l'honneur de son drapeau.

Amour sacré du trône et de l'autel,
Remplis nos coeurs de ton souffle immortel.
Parmi les races étrangères
Notre guide est la loi;
Sachons être un peuple de frères
Sous le joug de la Loi;
Et répétons, comme nos pères,
Le cri vainqueur: Pour le Christ et le Roi!

"O Canada" was written in 1880 in French by Adolphe-Basile Routhier, and the music was composed by Calixa Lavallee. The song was sung for the first time in 1880 at a banquet in the Pavillion des Patineurs in Quebec City. The French words have remained the same to this day. The English version, however, has a more interesting history. When Routhier's lyrics were first published in Toronto, a doctor named Thomas Bedford Richardson translated the words into English and to fit the melody. Two years later, the first edition of the Canadian version of Collier's Weekly held a competition to write English lyrics to the song. Mercy E. Powell McCulloch won the competition with her entry. The words were rewritten again and again, but one version gained the most popularity. It was written by Montreal lawyer Robert Stanley Weir, and only slightly differs from the English version used since "O Canada" was officially declared the national anthem in 1980, one century after it was composed.

For the past few decades, there has been an on-again/off-again (currently on-again) movement to once more slightly alter the English lyrics of the national anthem, from "In all thy sons command" to "In all thy hearts command", to be more inclusive. Keep watching this page for more information.