Rude Boreas
Come rude Boreas, blustering railer, list ye landsmen all to me,
Shipmates hear a brother sailor sing of the dangers of the sea.
From bounding billows, first in motion, when the distant whirlwinds rise,
To the tempest-troubled ocean, when the skies contend with skies.
Hark the bosun's hoarsely bawlin', by tops'l sheets an' halyards stand,
Down t'gans'ls quick be haulin', down yer stays'ls, hard, boys, hard!
See it freshens, set taut the braces, tops'ls sheets now let her go,
Luff, boys, luff, don't make wry faces, up yer tops'ls nimbly clew.
Now all ye on down beds a-sportin', fondly locked in Beauty's arms,
Fresh enjoyments, wanton courtin', safe from all but love's alarms;
Round us roars the angry tempest, see what fears our minds enthral,
Harder yet, it blows still harder, hark again the bosun's call.
The tops'l yard points to the wind, boys, see all clear to reef each course,
Let the foresheet go, don't mind, boys, though the weather should get worse;
For 'n' aft the sprits'l yard get, reef the mizen, see all clear,
Hands up each preventer-brace get, man the foreyard, cheer, boys, cheer!
All the while fierce thunder's roarin', peel on peel contendin' flash;
On our heads fierce rainfall pourin', in our eyes blue lightning flash;
All around is one wide water, all above us one black sky,
Different deaths at once surround us, hark! what means that dreadful cry?
The foremast's gone! cried every tongue out, o'er the lee twelve foot above deck,
A leak there is beneath the chesstrees sprung, pipe all hands to clear the wreck.
Come cut the lanyards all to pieces, come, me hearts, be stout an' bold,
Plumb the well, the leak increases, four foot water in the hold.
O'er the ship the wild waves beatin', we for wives and children moan,
Alas from here there's no retreatin', alas, to them there's no return;
Still the leak is gainin' on us, both chain-pumps are jammed below,
Heaven have mercy here upon us, for only that can save us now.
On the lee beam there is land, boys, let the guns overboard be thrown,
To the pump come every hand, boys, see our mizen mast is gone;
The leak we've found it can't pour faster, we've lightened her a foot or more,
Up an' rig a jury foremast, she's right, she's right, boys, we're off shore.
Now once more on shore we're thinkin', since kind heaven has saved our lives,
Come the cup now let's be drinkin' to our sweethearts an' our wives;
Fill it up, about ship wheel it, close to our lips a-brimmin' fine,
Where the tempest now, who feels it? None! the danger's drowned in wine!
Shipmates hear a brother sailor sing of the dangers of the sea.
From bounding billows, first in motion, when the distant whirlwinds rise,
To the tempest-troubled ocean, when the skies contend with skies.
Hark the bosun's hoarsely bawlin', by tops'l sheets an' halyards stand,
Down t'gans'ls quick be haulin', down yer stays'ls, hard, boys, hard!
See it freshens, set taut the braces, tops'ls sheets now let her go,
Luff, boys, luff, don't make wry faces, up yer tops'ls nimbly clew.
Now all ye on down beds a-sportin', fondly locked in Beauty's arms,
Fresh enjoyments, wanton courtin', safe from all but love's alarms;
Round us roars the angry tempest, see what fears our minds enthral,
Harder yet, it blows still harder, hark again the bosun's call.
The tops'l yard points to the wind, boys, see all clear to reef each course,
Let the foresheet go, don't mind, boys, though the weather should get worse;
For 'n' aft the sprits'l yard get, reef the mizen, see all clear,
Hands up each preventer-brace get, man the foreyard, cheer, boys, cheer!
All the while fierce thunder's roarin', peel on peel contendin' flash;
On our heads fierce rainfall pourin', in our eyes blue lightning flash;
All around is one wide water, all above us one black sky,
Different deaths at once surround us, hark! what means that dreadful cry?
The foremast's gone! cried every tongue out, o'er the lee twelve foot above deck,
A leak there is beneath the chesstrees sprung, pipe all hands to clear the wreck.
Come cut the lanyards all to pieces, come, me hearts, be stout an' bold,
Plumb the well, the leak increases, four foot water in the hold.
O'er the ship the wild waves beatin', we for wives and children moan,
Alas from here there's no retreatin', alas, to them there's no return;
Still the leak is gainin' on us, both chain-pumps are jammed below,
Heaven have mercy here upon us, for only that can save us now.
On the lee beam there is land, boys, let the guns overboard be thrown,
To the pump come every hand, boys, see our mizen mast is gone;
The leak we've found it can't pour faster, we've lightened her a foot or more,
Up an' rig a jury foremast, she's right, she's right, boys, we're off shore.
Now once more on shore we're thinkin', since kind heaven has saved our lives,
Come the cup now let's be drinkin' to our sweethearts an' our wives;
Fill it up, about ship wheel it, close to our lips a-brimmin' fine,
Where the tempest now, who feels it? None! the danger's drowned in wine!
Translation:
Language:
Reviews
No reviews yet.