Classic and Contemporary Poetry
OLD ANCHOR CHANTY, by HERBERT TRENCH Poet's Biography First Line: With a long heavy heave, my very famous men Last Line: (bring home!) Subject(s): Sea; Ocean | ||||||||
First Voice. WITH a long heavy heave, my very famous men. . . . (CHORUS. Bring home! heave and rally!) Second Voice. And why do you, lad, look so pale? Is it for love, or lack of ale? First Voice. All hands bear a hand that have a hand to len' -- And there never was a better haul than you gave then . . . . (CHORUS. Bring home!) First Voice. Heave hearty, my very famous men . . . . (Bring home! heave and rally!) Second Voice. Curl and scud, rack and squall -- sea-clouds you shall know them all . . . First Voice. For we're bound for Valparaiso and round the Horn again From Monte Desolado to the parish of Big Ben! . . . . (Bring home!) First Voice. Heave hearty, my very famous men . . . . (Bring home! heave and rally!) Second Voice. Bold through all or scuppers under, when shall we be back, I wonder? First Voice. From the green and chancy water we shall all come back again To the Lizard and the ladies -- but who can say for when? . . . . (Bring home!) First Voice. Heave and she's a-trip, my very famous men . . . . (Bring home! heave and rally!) Second Voice. When your fair lass says farewell to you a fair wind I will sell to you . . . . First Voice. You may sell your soul's salvation, but I'll bet you two-pound-ton She's a-tripping on the ribs of the devil in his den . . . . (Bring home!) First Voice. Heave and she's a-peak, my very famous men . . . . (Bring home! heave and rally!) Second Voice. You shall tread, for one cruzado, Fiddler's Green in El Dorado . . . . First Voice. Why, I've seen less lucky fellows pay for liquor with doubloons And for 'baccy with ozellas, gold mohurs, and ducatoons! . . . . (Bring home!) First Voice. Heave and a-weigh, my very famous men . . . . (Bring home! heave and rally!) Second Voice. And drop her next in heat or cold, the flukes of England they shall hold! . . . . First Voice. Ring and shank, stock and fluke, she's coming into ken -- Give a long and heavy heave, she's a-coming into ken. . . . (Bring home!) First Voice. Heave and in sight, my very famous men . . . . (Bring home! heave and rally!) Second Voice. With her shells and tangle dripping she's a beauty we are shipping . . . . First Voice. And she likes a bed in harbour like a decent citizen, But her fancy for a hammock on the deep sea comes again . . . . (Bring home!) First Voice. Heave and she's a-wash, my very famous men . . . . (Bring home! heave and rally!) Second Voice. O never stop to write the news that we are off upon a cruise . . . . First Voice. For the Gulf of Californy's got a roller now and then But it's better to be sailing than a-sucking of a pen . . . . (Bring home!) | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...HALL OF OCEAN LIFE by JOHN HOLLANDER JULY FOURTH BY THE OCEAN by ROBINSON JEFFERS BOATS IN A FOG by ROBINSON JEFFERS CONTINENT'S END by ROBINSON JEFFERS |
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