 | The Irish Poems of Alfred Perceval Graves |  |
HERRING IS KING
Let all the fish that swim the sea,
Salmon and turbot, cod and ling,
Bow down the head, and bend the knee
To herring, their king! to herring, their king!
Sing, Hugamar féin an sowra lin',
'Tis we have brought the summer in.
Salmon and turbot, cod and ling,
Bow down the head, and bend the knee
To herring, their king! to herring, their king!
Sing, Hugamar féin an sowra lin',
'Tis we have brought the summer in.
The sun sank down so round and red
Upon the bay, upon the bay;
The sails shook idle overhead,
Becalmed we lay, becalmed we lay;
Sing, Hugamar féin an sowra lin',
'Tis we have brought the summer in.
Upon the bay, upon the bay;
The sails shook idle overhead,
Becalmed we lay, becalmed we lay;
Sing, Hugamar féin an sowra lin',
'Tis we have brought the summer in.
Till Shawn, The Eagle, dropped on deck—
The bright-eyed boy, the bright-eyed boy;
'Tis he has spied your silver track,
Herring, our joy—herring, our joy;
Sing, Hugamar féin an sowra lin',
'Tis we have brought the summer in.
The bright-eyed boy, the bright-eyed boy;
'Tis he has spied your silver track,
Herring, our joy—herring, our joy;
Sing, Hugamar féin an sowra lin',
'Tis we have brought the summer in.
124
It was in with the sails and away to shore,
With the rise and swing, the rise and swing
Of two stout lads at each smoking oar,
After herring, our king—herring, our king;
Sing, Hugamar féin an sowra lin',
'Tis we have brought the summer in.
With the rise and swing, the rise and swing
Of two stout lads at each smoking oar,
After herring, our king—herring, our king;
Sing, Hugamar féin an sowra lin',
'Tis we have brought the summer in.
The Manx and the Cornish raised the shout,
And joined the chase, and joined the chase;
But their fleets they fouled as they went about,
And we won the race, we won the race;
Sing, Hugamar féin an sowra lin',
'Tis we have brought the summer in.
And joined the chase, and joined the chase;
But their fleets they fouled as they went about,
And we won the race, we won the race;
Sing, Hugamar féin an sowra lin',
'Tis we have brought the summer in.
For we turned and faced you full to land,
Down the góleen long, and góleen long,
And, after you, slipped from strand to strand
Our nets so strong, our nets so strong;
Sing, Hugamar féin an sowra lin',
'Tis we have brought the summer in.
Down the góleen long, and góleen long,
And, after you, slipped from strand to strand
Our nets so strong, our nets so strong;
Sing, Hugamar féin an sowra lin',
'Tis we have brought the summer in.
Then we called to our sweethearts and our wives,
“Come welcome us home, welcome us home!”
Till they ran to meet us for their lives
Into the foam, into the foam;
Sing, Hugamar féin an sowra lin',
Tis we have brought the summer in.
“Come welcome us home, welcome us home!”
Till they ran to meet us for their lives
Into the foam, into the foam;
Sing, Hugamar féin an sowra lin',
Tis we have brought the summer in.
125
O the kissing of hands and waving of caps
From girl and boy, from girl and boy,
While you leapt by scores in the lasses' laps,
Herring, our pride and joy;
Sing, Hugamar féin an sowra lin',
'Tis we have brought the summer in.
From girl and boy, from girl and boy,
While you leapt by scores in the lasses' laps,
Herring, our pride and joy;
Sing, Hugamar féin an sowra lin',
'Tis we have brought the summer in.
| The Irish Poems of Alfred Perceval Graves | |