Out of the East a hurricane Swept down on Captain Lean -- That mariner and gentleman Will never again be seen. He sailed his ship against the foes Of his own country dear, But now in the trough of the billows An aimless course doth steer. Powder was violets to his nostrils, Sweet the din of the fighting-line, Now he is flotsam on the seas, And his bones are bleached with brine. The stars move up along the sky, The moon she shines so bright, And in that solitude the foam Sparkles unearthly white. This is the tomb of Captain Lean, Would a straiter please his soul? I trow he sleeps in peace, Howsoever the billows roll!
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Text Authorship:
- by Walter De la Mare (1873 - 1956), "Captain Lean", appears in Songs of Childhood, first published 1902 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Cecil Armstrong Gibbs (1889 - 1960), "Captain Lean", published 1933 [ SATB quartet and piano ], from Songs of Childhood [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2008-01-13
Line count: 20
Word count: 116