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by Rudyard Kipling (1865 - 1936)

The sweepers
 (Sung text for setting by E. Elgar)
 Matches original text
Language: English 
Dawn off the Foreland -- the young flood making
    Jumbled and short and steep -- 
Black in the hollows and bright where it's breaking -- 
    Awkward water to sweep.
    "Mines reported in the fairway,
    "Warn all traffic and detain.
"'Sent up Unity, Claribel, Assyrian, Stormcock, and Golden Gain."

Noon off the Foreland -- the first ebb making
    Lumpy and strong in the bight.
Boom after boom, and the golf-hut shaking
    And the jackdaws wild with fright!
    "Mines located in the fairway,
    "Boats now working up the chain,
"Sweepers -- Unity, Claribel, Assyrian, Stormcock, and Golden Gain."

Dusk off the Foreland -- the last light going
    And the traffic crowding through,
And five damned trawlers with their syreens blowing
    Heading the whole review!
    "Sweep completed in the fairway.
    "No more mines remain.
"'Sent back Unity, Claribel, Assyrian, Stormcock, and Golden Gain." 
First published in Daily Telegraph, November 1915, revised 1919

Composition:

    Set to music by Edward Elgar, Sir (1857 - 1934), "The sweepers", 1917, published 1917 [ vocal quartet of baritones and orchestra ], from The Fringes of the Fleet, no. 4

Text Authorship:

  • by Rudyard Kipling (1865 - 1936), "Mine sweepers", appears in Sea Warfare, in The Fringes of the Fleet, first published 1915

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Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2009-02-05
Line count: 21
Word count: 135

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