O far away from my forest home,In the land of the stranger I must roam;And sigh amid flowers and trailing vines,For mine own rude land of lakes and pines.And I long--O, how I long to beIn mine own Dominion of the free-- Ontario! Ontario!In mine own Dominion of the free-- Ontario!
The old school-house, is it standing still?Do the pines still hang o'er the old saw-mill?Is the maple tree still fresh and green,That over our old log-house doth lean?Ah! back to them all, I fain would beIn mine own Dominion of the free-- Ontario! Ontario!In mine own Dominion of the free-- Ontario!
And does the blue-bird, in the SpringCome to it, as of old, to sing?And 'mong its branches build her nest,And rear its young ones in its breast?O, had I wings like her, I'd fleeTo mine own Dominion of the free-- Ontario! Ontario!To mine own Dominion of the free-- Ontario!
And what, tho' many do forget,There's still one there that loves me yet!I see her form, I see her face--I hear her voice in every place!And backward still, she beckons meTo mine own Dominion of the free-- Ontario! Ontario!To mine own Dominion of the free-- Ontario!
And still, as a knock comes to the door,Tho' disappointed ten times o'er,She runs--but to find her hopes are vain,Of her wand'ring Billy back again:And back to her breast, I fain would flee,And mine own Dominion of the free-- Ontario! Ontario!And mine own Dominion of the free-- Ontario!
