Length: 144 words
Anthem lyrics (use the arrow on the left to collapse this section):
Isle of beauty, isle of splendour,
Isle to all so sweet and fair,
All must surely gaze in wonder,
At thy gifts so rich and rare,
Rivers, valleys, hills and mountains,
All these gifts we do extol,
Healthy lands so like all fountains,
Giving cheer that warms the soul.
Dominica God hath blest thee,
With a clime benign and bright,
Pastures green and flow’rs of beauty,
Filling all with pure delight,
And a people strong and healthy,
Full of Godly reverent fear,
May we ever seek to praise thee,
For these gifts so rich and rare.
Come ye forward, sons and daughters,
Of this Gem beyond compare,
Strive for honour sons and daughters,
Do the right be firm be fair,
Toil with hearts and hands and voices,
We must prosper! Sound the call,
In which everyone rejoices,
“All for Each and Each for All”.
Historical context:
Like several other anthems of the English-speaking Caribbean (e.g., Jamaica and Saint Lucia), the lyrics to the national anthem of Dominica was written by a minister, the late Reverend Wilfred Oscar Morgan (W.O.M.) Pond. Also like some other anthems from this region (e.g., Antigua and Barbuda), it was used in during Dominica’s pre-independence period of Associated Statehood with the United Kingdom, and was called the National Song.The song makes numerous references to Dominica’s natural beauty, mirroring other national symbols like its flag, which prominently features the nation’s national bird, the Sisserou parrot (Amazona imperialis).
Performance: