By Philip Lam
Based upon
A Sea Song by Allan Cunningham
September 26, 2006
A stormy stretch and an abounding sea
A squall that follows fast,
And fills the black and hollowed sails
And swerves the devilish mast;
And swerves the devilish mast, my boys,
While, like vultures feed we are,
Away the treacherous ship flies and flees
Old England on the lee.
“O for a harsh and brutal wind”
I heard bad thief cry;
But give to me the croaking gale
And blood red waves, with diving sail;
And blood red waves, with diving sail, my lads,
The treacherous ship loose and staved,
The world of waters is our prison,
And with darkness we are slaved.
There’s maelstrom in yon pallor moon,
And lighting in yon smog
But deafen the Siren’s, song
The gale has entranced thy fog
The gale has entranced thy fog, my boys,
The beating of thy heart is bound,
While the black flag be our domain,
Our souls will never be found.
“O farewell, I bid you adieu, aye, cruel creatures of earth I do.”
I screamed these words with posthaste,
To our black flag I do salute;
For our ship has quicken its paste,
For our ship has quicken its paste, my lads
Near to the oceans depths we are,
The crimson sea has come to claim,
The soul of mine into his domain.