by Rudyard Kipling (1865 - 1936)
Dawn off the Foreland ‑‑ the young flood...
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."
About the headline (FAQ)
First published in Daily Telegraph, November 1915, revised 1919Authorship:
- by Rudyard Kipling (1865 - 1936), "Mine sweepers", appears in Sea Warfare, in The Fringes of the Fleet, first published 1915 [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 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 verified 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2009-02-05
Line count: 21
Word count: 134