Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE GOLDEN VANITY (5), by ANONYMOUS


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE GOLDEN VANITY (5), by                    
First Line: "there was a gallant ship, and a gallant ship was she"
Last Line: And sink off the lowlands low
Subject(s): Sea; Ocean


There was a gallant ship, and a gallant ship was she,
Eck iddle du, and the Lowlands low;
And she was called The Goulden Vanitie.
As she sailed to the Lowlands low.
She had not sailed a league, a league but only three,
When she came up with a French gallee,
As she sailed to the Lowlands low.
Out spoke the little cabin-boy, out spoke he;
"What will you give me if I sink that French gallee?
As ye sail to the Lowlands low."
"I'll give thee gold, and I'll give thee fee,
And my eldest daughter thy wife shall be
If you sink her off the Lowlands low."
"Then row me up ticht in a black bull's skin,
And throw me oer deck-buird, sink I or swim,
As ye sail to the Lowlands low."
So they've rowed him up ticht in a black bull's skin,
And have thrown him oer deck-buird, sink he or swim.
As they sail to the Lowlands low.
About, and about, and about went he,
Until he cam up with the French gallee.
As they sailed to the Lowlands low.
O some were playing cards, and some were playing dice,
The boy he had an auger bored holes two at twice;
He let the water in, and it dazzled in their eyes,
As they sailed to the Lowlands low.
Then some they ran with cloaks, and some they ran with caps,
To try if they could stap the saut-water draps.
As they sailed to the Lowlands low.
About, and about, and about went he,
Until he cam back to The Goulden Vanitie.
As they sailed to the Lowlands low.
"Now throw me oer a rope and pu me up on buird,
And prove unto me as guid as your word.
As we sail to the Lowlands low."
"We'll no throw ye oer a rope, nor pu you up on buird,
Nor prove unto you as guid as our word.
As we sail to the Lowlands low."
"You promised me gold, and you promised me fee,
Your eldest daughter my wife she should be.
As we sail to the Lowlands low."
"You shall have gold, and you shall have fee,
But my eldest daughter your wife shall never be.
As we sail to the Lowlands low."
Out spoke the little cabin-boy, out spoke he;
"Then hang me, I'll sink ye as I sunk the French gallee.
As ye sail to the Lowlands low."
The boy he swam round all by the starboard side,
When they pu'd him up on buird it's there he soon died;
They threw him o'er deck-buird to go down with the tide,
And sink off the Lowlands low.







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