Authorized March
"La Feuille d'érable" is the CIC Branch march past. This music is a traditional Catholic French-Canadian song that came out of the bonne chanson in the 1940s.
Here is the original version of "La Feuille d'érable" by Albert Larrieu.
- Certain jour le bon Créateur
- Fit dire aux peuples de la terre:
- "Que chacun choisisse une fleur,
- Et qu'on m'envoie un émissaire
- Qu'on soit exact au rendez-vous
- Chacun prendra la fleur qu'il aime
- Cette fleur restera l'emblème
- Du grand amour que j'ai pour vous."
- Le jour dit, dans le paradis
- Les envoyés se rencontrèrent
- La France vint choisir un lys
- L'oeillet fut pris par l'Angleterre
- L'Espagnol eut un frais liseron
- L'Américain un dahlia rose
- L'Italien choisit une rose
- Et l'allemand un vieux chardon
- Quand arriva le Canadien
- Emmitouflé dans ses fourrures
- Hélas! il ne restait plus rien
- Que des feuillages, des ramures
- Saint-Pierre était plein de regret
- Il caressait sa barbe blanche
- "Je n'ai plus, dit-il, que ces branches
- Tu peux regagner ta foret."
- Mais Jésus, qu'on ne voyait pas
- Intervint d'un coeur secourable
- S'en alla choisir dans le tas
- Offrit une feuille d'érable
- Et c'est depuis ce beau jour-la
- Qu'un peu partout dans la campagne
- Dans la plaine et sur la montagne
- L'érable croit au Canada
- Dans la plaine et sur la montagne
- L'érable croit au Canada
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This march past is sung by members of the CIC across Canada. It has been translated into English:
- On one fine day the good Creator
- said to people of the earth
- “let each of you go choose a flower
- and then send an emissary.
- Make sure that they are all on time.
- Each take a flower that he loves.
- And that flower for ever be a symbol
- of the Love, the Love I have for you.”
- On the appointed day in heaven
- the envoys had all gathered there.
- France chose the Lily and the
- Carnation was chosen by the English.
- The Spanish got a morning glory
- the Americans pink dahlia.
- The Italians chose a rose for their flower
- and German, the Germans chose a thistle.
- When the Canadian arrived
- bundled up in his coat of fur,
- alas, alas all that remained there
- were just left some leaves and boughs.
- St. Peter was full of regret
- and as he stroked his long white beard,
- “All I have left are these old branches
- Go back to, back to your forest home.”
- But Jesus, who had not been seen,
- stepped forth with generosity.
- The Lord, he dug into the pile
- and offered up a maple leaf.
- And ever since that glorious day
- here, there in the countryside,
- on the plains and high up in the mountain,
- the maple grows, it grows in Canada.
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