O Canada - the forgotten song

Back in 1880 O Canada was a French-Canadian patriotic song for the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society. Its English version, written in 1908, was considerably different than the original text. Believe it or not, both English and French lyrics contained 4 (four) verses. Yet when O Canada became Canada's national anthem in 1980, it was decided that one verse in either language is enough.

Later it became common to sing O Canada half in English, half in French, so even that single verse turned out to be too much as it's rarely sung in full. The original text however, had 4 verses. Unlike the English lyrics, the French lyrics were never altered. The last three verses were simply forgotten. Here's the full 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.

2. 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 ciel a marqué sa carrière
Dans ce monde nouveau.
Toujours guidé par sa lumière,
Il gardera l'honneur de son drapeau,
Il gardera l'honneur de son drapeau.

3. De son patron, précurseur du vrai Dieu,
Il porte au front l'auréole de feu.
Ennemi de la tyrannie
Mais plein de loyauté,
Il veut garder dans l'harmonie,
Sa fière liberté;
Et par l'effort de son génie,
Sur notre sol asseoir la vérité,
Sur notre sol asseoir la vérité.

4. 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 foi.
Et répétons, comme nos pères,
Le cri vainqueur: «Pour le Christ et le roi!»
Le cri vainqueur: «Pour le Christ et le roi!»

Rough translation, courtesy of Free Dominion
O Canada,
Land of our ancestors,
Your head is wreathed with flowers.
Because your arm knows how to carry the sword
It also knows how to carry the cross.
Your history is an epic
Of the most brilliant exploits.
And your values, soaked with faith,
Will protect our homes and our rights
Will protect our homes and our rights

2. Under the eye of God, near the great river,
The Canadian grows in hope.
He was born from a proud race,
Blessed was his cradle.
Heaven holds his destiny
In this new world.
Always guided by its light,
He will keep the honour of his flag,
He will keep the honour of his flag.

3. From his patron, precursor of the true God, [i.e. from St. John the Baptist]
He has a halo of fire.
Enemy of tyranny
But full of loyalty,
He wants to keep in harmony,
His proud liberty;
And by the effort of his genius,
On our ground the truth is seated,
On our ground the truth is seated.

4. Sacred love of throne and altar,
Fill our hearts with your immortal breath!
Amongst this race of strangers,
Our guide is the law:
Let us be a brotherly people,
Under the yoke of the Faith.
And let us repeat, like our fathers,
the victorious cry: "For Christ and the King!"
The victorious cry: "For Christ and the King!"

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Here are the English lyrics, written by Robert Stanley Weir in 1908. Although this wasn't the exact translation of the French lyrics, Weir's version of O Canada became the most generally accepted anthem in English-speaking Canada. The text was altered by the Parliamentary committee in 1968 and modified again - in 1980. We know one verse. But there were four of them originally:

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.

2. 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!
The land of hope for all who toil,
The true North strong and free!
God keep our land, glorious and free.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee!

3. O Canada! Beneath thy shining skies,
May Stalwart sons, and gentle maidens rise.
To keep thee steadfast thro' the years,
From East to Western sea.
Our own beloved native land,
Our true North strong and free!
God keep our land, glorious and free.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee!

4. 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.
God keep our land, glorious and free.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee!