The Works of Henry Fielding/A Sailor's Song

by Henry Fielding

For works with similar titles, see A Sailor's Song.

Come, let's aboard, my jolly blades,
   That love a merry life;
To lazy souls leave home-bred trades,
   To husbands home-bred strife;
Through Europe we will gaily roam,
And leave our wives and cares at home.
                              With a Fa la, &c.

If any tradesman broke should be,
   Or gentleman distress'd,
Let him away with us to sea,
   His fate will be redress'd:
The glorious thunder of great guns,
Drowns all the horrid noise of duns.
                              With a Fa la, &c.

And while our ships we proudly steer
   Through all the conquer'd seas,
We'll shew the world that Britons bear
   Their empire where they please:
Where'er our sails are once unfurl'd,
Our king rules that part of the world.
                              With a Fa la, &c.

The Spaniard with a solemn grace
   Still marches slowly on,
We'd quickly make him mend his pace,
   Desirous to be gone:
Or if we bend our course to France,
We'll teach Monsieur more brisk to dance.
                              With a Fa la, &c.

At length, the world subdued, again
   Our course we'll homeward bend;
In women, and in brisk champagne,
   Our gains we'll freely spend:
How proud our mistresses will be
To hug the men that fought as we.
                              With a Fa la, &c.