Recorded by: Buddy Wasisname and the Other Fellers
Written by: Words: Ena Constance Barrett | Music: Traditional |Arrangement: Ray Johnson
Lyrics
Newfoundland? Perchance they may have told you
Of this island in her shroud of snow;
Of rugged coasts, where oceans spend their fury,
Where chill ice drifts, and where the wild winds blow,
But O! I wonder have you seen her
When first awakened from her winter sleep;
When birches bud, and through the peaceful valleys,
Released from death, her mighty rivers leap?
I wonder have you known her in the summer
Her strong cliffs dreaming in an azure haze,
When white sailed vessels pass in stately beauty
Through the calm turquoise waters of her bays,
I wonder have you trod her scented marches,
Where dainty orchids smile for your delight;
Or have you heard the bells of homing cattle
In the sweet stillness of approaching night?
I wonder have you seen her in the Autumn,
In youth so exquisite, in age divine,
When every maple is a flaming beacon,
And every birch a fair and hold shrine;
Gold of the ferns, and scarlet of the berries,
Russet and brown as far as eye can see,
And the dark spruce as constant and as changeless
As her dear heart shall ever prove to be.
Newfoundland? Oh yes they may have told you
Of this island in her shroud of snow,
Of rugged coasts, where oceans spend their fury,
But friend, remember – ’tis not always so.
Life comes to her from those grim hours of travail
A priceless gem from God’s almighty hand,
Go! Search the world and find a fairer picture
Than sunlight on the hills of Newfoundland.
