Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, HERRING IS KING, by ALFRED PERCEVAL GRAVES


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

HERRING IS KING, by             Poem Explanation         Poet's Biography
First Line: Let all the fish that swim the sea
Last Line: Tis we have brought the summer in.
Subject(s): Fish & Fishing; Herring; Anglers


Let all the fish that swim the sea--
Salmon and turbot, cod and ling--
Bow down the head and bead the knee
To herring, their king !--to herring, their king!
Sing, Thugamar fein an samhradh linn,
'Tis we have brought the summer in.

The sun sank down, so round and red,
Upon the bay, upon the bay;
The sails shook idly overhead--
Becalmed we lay, becalmed we lay.
Sing, Thugamar fein an samhradh linn,
'Tis we have brought the summer in.

Till Shaun, "The Eagle," dropped on deck,
The bright-eyed boy, the bright-eyed boy;
'Tis he has spied your silver track,
Herring, our joy--herring, our joy.
Sing, Thugamar fein an samhradh linn,
'Tis we have brought the summer in.

It was in with the sails and away to the shore,
With the rise and swing, the rise and swing
Of two stout lads at each smoking oar,
After herring, our king--herring, our king.
Sing, Thugamar fein an samhradh linn,
'Tis we have brought the summer in.

The Manx and the Cornish raised the shout,
And joined the chase, and joined the chase;
But their fleets they fouled as they went about,
And we won the race, we won the race.
Sing, Thugamar fein an samhradh linn,
'Tis we have brought the summer in.

For we turned and faced you full to land,
Down the goleen long, the goleen long,
And after you slipped from strand to strand
Our nets so strong, our nets so strong.
Sing, Thugamar fein an samhradh linn,
'Tis we have brought the summer in.

Then we called to our sweethearts and our wives:
'Come, welcome us home--welcome us home!
Till they ran to meet us for their lives
Into the foam, into the foam.
Sing, Thugamar fein an samhradh linn,
'Tis we have brought the summer in.

Oh, the kissing of hands and waving of caps
From girl and boy, from girl and boy,
While you leapt by scores in the lasses' laps,
Herring, our pride and joy.
Sing, Thugamar fein an samhradh linn,
'Tis we have brought the summer in.





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