 | English melodies |  |
41
BACCHUS AND THE PIRATES.
At the purple close of evening,
Careless Bacchus sleeping lay;
Pirates, from the coast of Naxos,
Bore him to their deck away:
When the slumb'ring god awaken'd,
Wond'ring he beheld the deep;
While the Pirates laughing told him,
Boys should ne'er be caught asleep!
Ha! ha! Bacchus!—ha! ha! Bacchus!
Boys should ne'er be caught asleep.
Careless Bacchus sleeping lay;
Pirates, from the coast of Naxos,
Bore him to their deck away:
When the slumb'ring god awaken'd,
Wond'ring he beheld the deep;
While the Pirates laughing told him,
Boys should ne'er be caught asleep!
Ha! ha! Bacchus!—ha! ha! Bacchus!
Boys should ne'er be caught asleep.
As they jeer'd green vines kept springing,
Rich as fed by southern gales;
From each plank their broad leaves flinging,
Mingling with the cords and sails!
Circling mast and spar, like Beauty
Round the neck of warrior brave;
Whilst the ship, unfit for duty,
Lay all helpless on the wave:
Ha! ha! Bacchus!—ha! ha! Bacchus!
Who's the captor?—who's the slave?
Rich as fed by southern gales;
From each plank their broad leaves flinging,
Mingling with the cords and sails!
Circling mast and spar, like Beauty
Round the neck of warrior brave;
Whilst the ship, unfit for duty,
Lay all helpless on the wave:
Ha! ha! Bacchus!—ha! ha! Bacchus!
Who's the captor?—who's the slave?
42
All amaz'd the Pirates gazing,
Watch'd the clustering grapes ascend—
To the topmast spar aspiring,
As their richness ne'er would end:
Then the Pirates, lowly kneeling,
Strove to turn the boy-god's frown;
But the ship, like drunkard reeling,
With a sudden shriek went down;
Ha! ha! Bacchus!—ha! ha! Bacchus!
Fathoms deep the traitors drown.
Watch'd the clustering grapes ascend—
To the topmast spar aspiring,
As their richness ne'er would end:
Then the Pirates, lowly kneeling,
Strove to turn the boy-god's frown;
But the ship, like drunkard reeling,
With a sudden shriek went down;
Ha! ha! Bacchus!—ha! ha! Bacchus!
Fathoms deep the traitors drown.
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