When sun rays crown thy pine clad hills,
And summer spreads her hand;
When silvern voices tune thy rills,
We love thee, smiling land;
We love thee, we love thee,
We love thee, smiling land.
When spreads thy cloak of shimm'ring white,
At winter's stern command;
Thro' shortened day and starlit night,
We love thee, frozen land;
We love thee, we love thee,
We love thee, frozen land.
When blinding storm gusts fret thy shore,
And wild waves lash thy strand;
Thro' spindrift swirl and tempest roar,
We love thee, wind-swept land;
We love thee, we love thee,
We love thee, wind-swept land.
As loved our fathers, so we love,
Where once they stood, we stand;
Their prayer we raise to heaven above,
God guard thee, Newfoundland;
God guard thee, God guard thee,
God guard thee, Newfoundland.
####.... The national anthem of Newfoundland, written by Sir Cavendish Boyle [1849-1916] while he was Britain's Governor of Newfoundland between 1901 and 1904. Music by Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry, 1st Baronet [1848-1918] English composer, teacher and historian of music. Arranged by Henry Coleman. First public performance on January 21st, 1902. ....####
Printed in St John's in 1904 as Newfoundland on p.4 of the Old Colony Song Book, Newfoundland, published by James Murphy [1867-1931], who noted that this is the national poem of Terra Nova, and is sung by the school children of all denominations in the Island; it was written by his Excellency Sir Cavendish Boyle, late Governor of Newfoundland.
Also published in Gerald S Doyle's Old-Time Songs And Poetry Of Newfoundland: Songs Of The People From The Days Of Our Forefathers (Third edition, p.7, 1955). Also published on p.3 of Songs Of Newfoundland, a complimentary booklet of lyrics to twenty-one songs distributed by the Bennett Brewing Co Ltd, of St John's, NL, with the cooperation of the Gerald S Doyle Song Book from which the above lyrics were obtained.
The video above features a recording by Vonnie Barron and Esther Squires on a compilation album of various artists (Another Time : The Songs Of Newfoundland, trk#12, 1991 CD, Pigeon Inlet, St John's, recorded at Dadyeen Studios, St John's, produced by Kelly Russell and Don Walsh).
