6
When careless thus Ned Haulyard sung,
A sailor’s life's the life for me!
Me takes his duty merrilie
If winds can whistle, he can sing,
Still faithful to his friends and king,
He gets beloved by all his ship
And toasts his girl, and drinks his slip.
Down topsails, boys, the gale comes on
To strike top-gallant yards they run;
And now to hand the sail prepar’d,
Ned cheerful sings upon the yard.
A sailor's life &c.
A leak!—a leak!— come lads, be bold!
There’s five feet water in the hold!
Eager on deck see Haulyard jump!
And, hark! he’s singing at the pump,
A sailors life, &c.
And see the vessel nought can save !
She strikes and finds a wat’ry grave !
Yet Ned preserv’d, with a few more,
Sings, as he treads a for ign shore,
A sailor’s life, &c.
But now, unnunmber'd perils past,
On land as well’s at sea, at last,
In tatters to his Poll at home
See honest Haulyard singing come,
A sailor’s life, &c
Yet for poor Haulyard what disgrace,
Poll swears she never saw his face !
