Head the ship for England! Shake out every sail! Blithe leap the billows, Merry sings the gale. Captain, work the reckoning; How many knots a day? - Round the world and home again, That's the sailor's way! We've traded with the Yankees, Brazilians and Chinese; We've laughed with dusky beauties In shade of tall palm-trees; Across the line and Gulf-Stream - Round by Table Bay - Everywhere and home again, That's the sailor's way! Nightly stands the North Star Higher on our bow; Straight we run for England; Our thoughts are in it now. Jolly times with friends ashore, When we've drawn our pay! - All about and home again, That's the sailor's way! Tom will to his parents, Jack will to his dear, Joe to wife and children, Bob to pipes and beer; Dicky to the dancing-room, To hear the fiddles play; - Round the world and home again, That's the sailor's way! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE GOLDEN TARGE by WILLIAM DUNBAR CENTENNIAL MEDITATION OF COLUMBIA by SIDNEY LANIER ANTONY AND [OR, TO] CLEOPATRA by WILLIAM HAINES LYTLE THE RAINY SUMMER by ALICE MEYNELL A TEMPLE TO FRIENDSHIP by THOMAS MOORE HE REMEMBERS FORGOTTEN BEAUTY by WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS HESPERIDES by THOMAS BAILEY ALDRICH |