Songs of the sea and lays of the land :: :: University of Virginia Library

NEAR HAVANNA

It was down near Havanna town, ho!
It was down near Havanna town, low,
That I saw a mortal fight,
At the coming on of night,
By the starlight a long time ago.

Two Spaniards were a-fighting for their lives,
The blades flashed like lightning up and down;
To the click and the clock of the knives,
And there stood a lady looking on.

I asked her the cause of the fray,
And she answered in Spanish: “Oh see!
They are villains who carried me away,
And now they are fighting for me.”

And I said as I looked at her face
That I hardly could blame such a theft,
“But I'll wait until one gets his grace,
Then I'll tackle with the other who is left.”

But just as I spoke, with a start,
The two leapt and fell on the sand,
For both had been stabbed to the heart
And each had his death out of hand.

So I and the donna were friends,
And that of the kindest and best;
Now here this true history ends,
And you must imagine the rest.

And 'twas all near Havanna town, ho!
It was down by Havanna town, low,
That I saw this mortal fight,
At the coming on of night,
By the starlight a long time ago.

There sat a stranger there whom no one knew,
Who did not seem a follower of the sea,
And yet no stranger surely to the Blue,
Who now politely spoke the company,
Saying unto them: “Mates, 'tween you and me,
I put it as a question—don't you think
That it is pretty near time to take a drink?
And if you do belong to Gideon's Band,

Then here's my purse to pay—and here's my hand”—
There was a roar of laughter loud and long,
And then the stranger burst into a song;
But for a minute were they all so gay,
For with the words their laughter died away.