O Canada stands pat

That was fast.

On Wednesday Canada’s Parliament opened a new session with something called the speech from the throne. Written by the party in power (which gets to call itself ‘the government’) the throne speech summarizes that party’s hopes & plans for the nation.

Sometimes proposals are run up the metaphoric flag pole to test public response. Like changing the words in O Canada to be gender neutral.

It’s not a new idea. Unofficially, some have already changed the supposedly offending line “true patriot love, in all thy sons command” to “in all of us command”. The throne speech suggested re-examining the 1908 lyrics, which read “thou dost in us command”.

That raised a few eyebrows. (Gentle reader, dost thou recollect the words ‘thou’ and ‘dost’? Who among our youth can utter them in context?)

O Canada has been around as poetry set to music for over a century but it was not made the official national anthem until 1980, when it replaced God save the Queen. Lyrics exist in several versions and tinkering with them isn’t new. In the late 1960’s, a joint committee of MPs and senators added these English lines “from far and wide” and “God keep our land glorious and free!”

But by Friday afternoon the gender-fixing idea was already being abandoned, as explained by the Prime Minister’s spokesperson Dimitri Soudas:

We offered to hear from Canadians on this issue and they have already spoken loud and clear. They overwhelmingly do not want to open the issue. The Government will not proceed any further to change our national anthem.

Comments from readers in response to media coverage include many complaints that the issue was minor. Messing with national symbols is bound to stir emotions. That fact prompted many suggestions the whole exercise was a calculated distraction.

In any event, those arguing in support of gender neutrality, like Senator Nancy Ruth, have been drowned out by a loud chorus saying the anthem is just fine and should be left alone.

For now, the official English version stays thusly:

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.

Official French version:

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.

English translation of the French lyrics:

O Canada!
Land of our ancestors,
Thy brow is wreathed with a glorious
garland of flowers.
As in 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.