Читать книгу Lays and Legends of the English Lake Country - John Pagen White - Страница 8

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The Betsey-Jane sailed out of the Firth,

As the Waits sang "Christ is born on earth"—

The Betsey-Jane sailed out of the Firth,

On Christmas-day in the morning.

The wind was East, the moon was high,

Of a frosty blue was the spangled sky,

And the bells were ringing, and dawn was nigh,

And the day was Christmas morning.

In village and town woke up from sleep,

From peaceful visions and slumbers deep—

In village and town woke up from sleep,

On Christmas-day in the morning,

The many that thought on Christ the King,

And rose betimes their gifts to bring,

And "peace on earth and good will" to sing,

As is meet upon Christmas morning.

The Betsey-Jane pass'd village and town,

As the Gleemen sang, and the stars went down—

The Betsey-Jane pass'd village and town,

That Christmas-day in the morning;

And the Skipper by good and by evil swore,

The bells might ring and the Gleemen roar,

But the chink of his gold would chime him o'er

Those waves, next Christmas morning.

And out of the Firth with his reckless crew,

All ready his will and his work to do—

Out of the Firth with his reckless crew

He sailed on a Christmas morning!

He steer'd his way to Gambia's coast;

And dealt for slaves; and Westward cross'd;

And sold their lives, and made his boast

As he thought upon Christmas morning.

And again and again from shore to shore,

With his human freight for the golden ore—

Again and again from shore to shore,

Ere Christmas-day in the morning,

He cross'd that deep with never a thought

Of the sorrow, or wrong, or suffering wrought

On souls and bodies thus sold and bought

For gold, against Christmas morning!

And at length, with his gold and ivory rare,

When the sun was low and the breeze was fair—

At length with his gold and ivory rare

He sailed, that on Christmas morning

He might pass both village and town again

When the bells were ringing, as they rung then,

When he pass'd them by in the Betsey-Jane,

On that last bright Christmas morning.

The Betsey-Jane sailed into the Firth,

As the bells rang "Christ is born on earth"—

The Betsey-Jane sailed into the Firth,

And it was upon Christmas morning! The wind was west, the moon was high, Of a hazy blue was the spangled sky, And the bells were ringing, and dawn was nigh, Just breaking on Christmas morning. The Gleemen singing of Christ the King, Of Christ the King, of Christ the King— The Gleemen singing of Christ the King, Hailed Christmas-day in the morning; When the Betsey-Jane with a thundering shock Went ripping along on the Giltstone Rock, In sound of the bells which seemed to mock Her doom on that Christmas morning. With curse and shriek and fearful groan, On the foundering ship, in the waters lone— With curse and shriek and fearful groan, They sank on that Christmas morning! The Skipper with arms around his gold, Scared by dark spirits that loosed his hold, Was down the deep sea plunged and roll'd In the dawn of that Christmas morning:— While village and town woke up from sleep, From peaceful visions and slumbers deep— While village and town woke up from sleep, That Christmas-day in the morning! And many that thought on Christ the King, Rose up betimes their gifts to bring, And, "peace on earth and good will to sing," Went forth in the Christmas morning!