 | Sea Songs |  |
70
SAYS NANCY TO ME WHEN I PARTED.
Says Nancy to me when I parted
From her, on this voyage off to go,
“Oh! Jack, I shall be so down-hearted,”
Whenever I hear a gale blow;
There you to the rocking yards clinging,
In the howling gusts, still I shall see;
And your Nancy her hands will be wringing
Thinking, lost to your Nancy, you'll be;
Horror-dumb, I shall see you, Jack, falling,
Head-first, to the billows beneath,
And to save you, on kind 'Heaven calling,
I shall, swooning, join you, lad, in death.”
From her, on this voyage off to go,
“Oh! Jack, I shall be so down-hearted,”
Whenever I hear a gale blow;
There you to the rocking yards clinging,
In the howling gusts, still I shall see;
And your Nancy her hands will be wringing
Thinking, lost to your Nancy, you'll be;
Horror-dumb, I shall see you, Jack, falling,
Head-first, to the billows beneath,
And to save you, on kind 'Heaven calling,
I shall, swooning, join you, lad, in death.”
71
Says I, “Now don't go to be silly;
I've gone twenty times and come home;
I must sail the salt seas, willy nilly,
Till I reach you once more o'er the foam;
I've my sea-legs; the shrouds are no strangers
To me; they're old friends to my hand;
On the yards, where you fancy such dangers,
I foot it, as if upon land;
Let it high or low, Nan, be a blowing,
I shan't take a fall to below.”
Then I bussed off her tears that were flowing;
But she'll sigh when she hears a gale blow.
I've gone twenty times and come home;
I must sail the salt seas, willy nilly,
Till I reach you once more o'er the foam;
I've my sea-legs; the shrouds are no strangers
To me; they're old friends to my hand;
On the yards, where you fancy such dangers,
I foot it, as if upon land;
Let it high or low, Nan, be a blowing,
I shan't take a fall to below.”
Then I bussed off her tears that were flowing;
But she'll sigh when she hears a gale blow.
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