Words by David W. Watts, 1983
Original words by Alexander Muir
From mighty empires long ago
Brave explorers set out for lands
To plant the cross and flag for kings (or sovereigns)
Whose colonies changed hands—
The men and women who they brought
To face the winter weather
Cleared fields and forests where they found
The maple leaf together.
The maple leaf in green and red
Our sign of past endeavour
A commonwealth of future hope
The maple leaf together.
In towns and farms our forebears all
To that heritage held fast
And would not take up arms
To cut off their future from the past—
Chose Peace ahead of Freedom’s call
Refused the links to sever
Though strangers to each other chose
The maple leaf together.
New bonds of steel and trade and law
Bound the east to western shore
Though often taut, refused the strain
And were spared from civil war
‘Cross language, tribe and Great Divide
We held to that endeavour
A sign for future humankind
The maple leaf together.
Yet two times more, a world at war
Fought on land, in sea and sky
And many from our country went
To serve, and some to die—
But others, just as brave, refused
Enforced enlistment: Never!
‘Tis not by force that best we serve
The maple leaf together.