by
Anne Hunter (1742 - 1821)
Sailor's song
Language: English
Our translations: DUT FRE
High on the giddy bending mast
The seaman furls the rending sail,
And, fearless of the rushing blast,
He careless whistles to the gale.
Rattling ropes and rolling seas,
Hurlyburly, hurlyburly,
War nor death can him displease.
The hostile foe his vessel seeks,
High bounding o'er the raging main,
The roaring cannon loudly speaks,
'Tis Britain's glory we maintain.
Rattling ropes and rolling seas,
Hurlyburly, hurlyburly,
War nor death can him displease.
Text Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Zeemanslied", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Le chant du marin", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [
Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 14
Word count: 72
Zeemanslied
Language: Dutch (Nederlands) after the English
De zeeman reeft het scheurend zeil
Hoog in de mast, die helt enorm,
En boven ’t buld’rend windgehuil
Fluit hij, negerend heel de storm.
Zwalpend tuig en zeetempeest,
Holdebolder, holdebolder,
Strijd noch dood maakt hem bevreesd.
De valse vijand zoekt zijn schuit,
Hoog deinend in het woeste weer,
Het bars kanon braakt bruut en luid,
Wij vechten voor Brittannië’s eer.
Zwalpend tuig en zeetempeest,
Holdebolder, holdebolder,
Strijd noch dood maakt hem bevreesd.
Text Authorship:
Based on:
This text was added to the website: 2016-09-11
Line count: 14
Word count: 72