Verse for this Canada Day by E. Pauline Johnson – Tekahionwake – from Canadian Born (Toronto: Morang, 1903), her second volume.
CANADIAN BORN
We first saw light in Canada, the land beloved of
God;
We are the pulse of Canada, its marrow and its blood:
We are the pulse of Canada, its marrow and its blood:
And we, the men of Canada, can face the world
and brag
That we were born in Canada beneath the British
flag.
Few of us have the blood of kings, few are of courtly
birth,
But few are vagabonds or rogues of doubtful name
and worth;
And all have one credential that entitles us to brag—
That we were born in Canada beneath the British
flag.
We've yet to make our money, we've yet to make
our fame,
But we have gold and glory in our clean colonial
name;
And every man's a millionaire if only he can brag
That he was born in Canada beneath the British
flag.
No title and no coronet is half so proudly worn
As that which we inherited as men Canadian born.
We count no man so noble as the one who makes
the brag
That he was born in Canada beneath the British
flag.
The Dutch may have their Holland, the Spaniard
have his Spain,
The Yankee to the south of us must south of us
remain;
For not a man dare lift a hand against the men who
brag
That they were born in Canada beneath the British
flag.
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