| |
| COME, all ye jolly sailors bold, | |
| Whose hearts are cast in honor’s mould, | |
| While English glory I unfold,— | |
| Huzza to the Arethusa! | |
| She is a frigate tight and brave | 5 |
| As ever stemmed the dashing wave: | |
| Her men are stanch | |
| To their favorite launch, | |
| And when the foe shall meet our fire, | |
| Sooner than strike, we ’ll all expire, | 10 |
| On board of the Arethusa. | |
| |
| ’T was with old Keppel she went out, | |
| The English Channel to cruise about, | |
| When four French sail, in show so stout, | |
| Bore down on the Arethusa. | 15 |
| The famed Belle Poule straight ahead did lie,— | |
| The Arethusa seemed to fly; | |
| Not a sheet or a tack, | |
| Or a brace did she slack; | |
| Though the Frenchman laughed, and thought it stuff; | 20 |
| But they knew not the handful of men, how tough, | |
| On board of the Arethusa. | |
| |
| On deck five hundred men did dance, | |
| The stoutest they could find in France; | |
| We with two hundred did advance, | 25 |
| On board of the Arethusa. | |
| Our captain hailed the Frenchman, “Ho!” | |
| The Frenchman then cried out, “Hallo!” | |
| “Bear down, d’ye see, | |
| To our admiral’s lee.” | 30 |
| “No, no,” says the Frenchman, “that can’t be.” | |
| “Then I must lug you along with me,” | |
| Says the saucy Arethusa. | |
| |
| The fight was off the Frenchman’s land; | |
| We forced them back upon their strand; | 35 |
| For we fought till not a stick would stand | |
| On board of the Arethusa. | |
| And since we ’ve driven the foe ashore, | |
| Never to fight with Britons more, | |
| Let each fill a glass | 40 |
| To his favorite lass; | |
| A health to our captain and officers too, | |
| And all who belong to the jovial crew | |
| On board of the Arethusa. | |
| |
