IN MEMORY OF
ARCHIBALD LAMPMAN, POET
1861-1899
A LA MEMOIRE DU POETET
ARCHIBALD LAMPMAN
1861-1899
AT THE END OF HIS LIFE, ARCHIBALD LAMPMAN LIVED AT 187
BAY STREET IN OTTAWA, AND IT IS HERE THAT HE MAY HAVE
WRITTEN HIS MOST BEAUTIFUL POEMS. IN 1960, THE HOUSE
WAS DEMOLISHED TO MAKE WAY FOR THE PRESENT BUILDING.
A LA FIN DE SA VIE, ARCHIBALD LAMPMAN A DEMEURÉ AU
187 DE LA RUE BAY, À OTTAWA, OU IL A PEUT-ÊTRE ÉCRIT
SES PLUS BEAUX POÈMES. EN 1960, IL A FALLU DÉMOLIR LA
MAISON POUR FAIRE PLACE AU BÂTIMENT ACTUEL.
SO TO ADDRESS OUR SPIRITS TO THE HEIGHT,
AND SO ATTUNE THEM TO THE VALIANT WHOLE,
THAT THE GREAT LIGHT BE CLEARER FOR OUR LIGHT,
AND THE GREAT SOUL THE STRONGER, FOR OUR SOUL:
TO HAVE DONE THIS IS TO HAVE LIVED, THOUGH FAME
REMEMBER US WITH NO FAMILIAR NAME.
EXCERPT FROM "THE LARGEST LIFE"
BY ARCHIBALD LAMPMAN
DE TOUTE NOTRE ÂME NOUS DEVONS VISER HAUT
ET NOUS JOINDRE À LA MARCHE, À L'ASCENSION DE L'HOMME.
AUGMENTANT DE NOTRE LUEUR LA LUMIÈRE UNIVERSELLE
ET DE NOTRE ARDEUR FORTIFIANT L'ÂME HUMAINE,
NOUS NE VIVRONS PAS EN VAIN,
MÊME SI LA RENOMMÉE OUBLIE NOTRE NOM.
TIRÉ DU POÈME D'ARCHIBALD LAMPMAN,
"THE LARGEST LIFE"
Archibald Lampman (1861-1899), one of the poets of the Confederation, arrived in Ottawa in 1883 to work for the department of the Post Office. From 1896, Lampman resided at 187 Bay Street. That building was demolished in the 1960s. According to the Ontario death registration (1899 #006330), Lampman, resident of 187 Bay, died of pneumonia and disease of heart. A memorial to honour the poet is found at that address on the building which now hosts the offices of the Alterna credit union.