John Masefield (1878-1967) was an English poet and writer, Poet Laureate from 1930 until his death. He is remembered as the author of the classic children's novels The Midnight Folk and The Box of Delights, two novels "Captain Margaret" and "Multitude and Solitude" and a great deal of memorable poetry, including "The Everlasting Mercy" and "Sea-Fever", from his anthology Saltwater Ballads. See more at Wikipedia.
Sea-FeverI must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by;
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a gray mist on the sea's face, and a gray dawn breaking.
I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.
I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull's way and the whale's way, where the wind's like
a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.
5 comments:
Bryn Terfil sings Sea Fever on his Vagabond CD. Very good it is too.
Spike Milligan re-wrote the opening stanza as:
I must go down to the sea again, to the lonely sea and the sky;
I left my vest and socks there, I wonder if they're dry?
We're pro-Terfil here as you may expect (Eleri remembers him when he was slim in her Bangor days). We don't have this though. I recognise the Milligan quote. We must have a Milligan poem up soon.
We had to learn "Cargoes" in school. It is displayed in Cardiff Bay now, though I think there's some bad spelling on the notice.
QUINQUIREME of Nineveh from distant Ophir,
Rowing home to haven in sunny Palestine,
With a cargo of ivory,
And apes and peacocks,
Sandalwood, cedarwood, and sweet white wine.
Stately Spanish galleon coming from the Isthmus,
Dipping through the Tropics by the palm-green shores,
With a cargo of diamonds,
Emeralds, amythysts,
Topazes, and cinnamon, and gold moidores.
Dirty British coaster with a salt-caked smoke stack,
Butting through the Channel in the mad March days,
With a cargo of Tyne coal,
Road-rails, pig-lead,
Firewood, iron-ware, and cheap tin trays.
(and isn't it Terfel?)
I like that too.
PS A quinquireme (great word!) is a warship propelled by oars (developed from the earlier trireme) as I'm sure you know.
PPS It is Terfel. I copied from Davies, sir.
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