| |
| COME, all ye jolly sailors bold, | |
| Whose hearts are cast in honour’s mould, | |
| While English glory I unfold, | |
| Huzza for the Arethusa! | |
| She is a frigate tight and brave, | 5 |
| As ever stemmed the dashing wave; | |
| Her men are staunch | |
| To their fav’rite launch, | |
| And when the foe shall meet our fire, | |
| Sooner than strike, we’ll all expire | 10 |
| On board of the Arethusa. | |
| |
| ’Twas with the spring fleet 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 Frenchmen 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 could stand | |
| Of the gallant Arethusa. | |
| And now we’ve driven the foe ashore | |
| Never to fight with Britons more, | |
| Let each fill his glass | 40 |
| To his fav’rite lass; | |
| A health to our captain and officers true, | |
| And all that belong to the jovial crew | |
| On board of the Arethusa. | |
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