Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE PRINCESS, by ANONYMOUS


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE PRINCESS, by                    
First Line: A princess armed a privateer to sail the chersonese
Last Line: You may chance to find your captain not so brutal as you think!
Subject(s): Sailing & Sailors


A Princess armed a privateer to sail the Chersonese
And fitted it with purple sails to belly in the breeze,
With golden cords and oaken boards and a name writ out in pearls,
And all the jolly mariners were gallant little girls.

The King's Son he came hunting her in frigates two or three,
"Give me one kiss, Princess," he cried, "and take a ship from me;
And would you like the yellow boat or would you like the red,
Or would you take myself and mine, the gold and green instead?"

"Sir, handsome fellow as you are, it's curious, you know,
To ask a maid for kisses in mid-archipelago:
But come and fight with us, young man; the prize is for the brave."
They fought: it chanced the lady won and took him for a slave.

She drave him to the yellow boat and lashed him to the oar.
"Now pull, my handsome Prince," said she, "till you can pull no more."
"O Princess, do but listen to a valiant boy's appeal,
And take me from this bitter oar, and put me at the wheel."

"O foolish Prince," she answered him; "back to your oar and pull.
Row hard and soon we'll anchor in the gulf of Istamboul.
While the slaves collect provisions and the sailors go for drink
You may chance to find your Captain not so brutal as you think!"





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