StoryTitle("caps", "Song") ?>
Written at Sea, in the First Dutch War (1665),
the Night before an Engagement
PoemStart() ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "To all you ladies now at land", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", "We men at sea indite;", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "But first would have you understand", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", "How hard it is to write:", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "The Muses now, and Neptune too, ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "We must implore to write to you—", "") ?>
PoemLine("L4", "", "With a fa, la, la, la, la.", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "For though the Muses should prove kind,", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", "And fill our empty brain,", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Yet if rough Neptune rouse the wind ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", "To wave the azure main,", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Our paper, pen, and ink, and we,", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Roll up and down our ships at sea—", "") ?>
PoemLine("L4", "", "With a fa, la, la, la, la.", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Then if we write not by each post, ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", "Think not we are unkind;", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Nor yet conclude our ships are lost", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", "By Dutchmen or by wind:", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Our tears we'll send a speedier way,", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "The tide shall bring them twice a day— ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L4", "", "With a fa, la, la, la, la.", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "The King with wonder and surprise", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", "Will swear the seas grow bold,", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Because the tides will higher rise", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", "Than e'er they did of old: ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "But let him know it is our tears", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Bring floods of grief to Whitehall stairs—", "") ?>
PoemLine("L4", "", "With a fa, la, la, la, la.", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Should foggy Opdam chance to know", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", "Our sad and dismal story, ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "The Dutch would scorn so weak a foe,", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", "And quit their fort at Goree:", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "For what resistance can they find", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "From men who've left their hearts behind?—", "") ?>
PoemLine("L4", "", "With a fa, la, la, la, la. ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Let wind and weather do its worst,", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", "Be you to us but kind;", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Let Dutchmen vapour, Spaniards curse,", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", "No sorrow we shall find:", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0SQ", "", "'Tis then no matter how things go, ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Or who's our friend, or who's our foe—", "") ?>
PoemLine("L4", "", "With a fa, la, la, la, la.", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "To pass our tedious hours away", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", "We throw a merry main,", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Or else at serious ombre play;", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", "But why should we in vain", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Each other's ruin thus pursue?", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "We were undone when we left you—", "") ?>
PoemLine("L4", "", "With a fa, la, la, la, la.", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "But now our fears tempestuous grow ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", "And cast our hopes away;", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Whilst you, regardless of our woe,", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", "Sit careless at a play:", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Perhaps permit some happier man", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "To kiss your hand, or flirt your fan— ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L4", "", "With a fa, la, la, la, la.", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "When any mournful tune you hear,", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", "That dies in every note", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "As if it sigh'd with each man's care", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", "For being so remote, ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Think then how often love we've made", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "To you, when all those tunes were play'd—", "") ?>
PoemLine("L4", "", "With a fa, la, la, la, la.", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "In justice you cannot refuse", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", "To think of our distress, ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "When we for hopes of honour lose", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", "Our certain happiness:", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "All those designs are but to prove", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Ourselves more worthy of your love—", "") ?>
PoemLine("L4", "", "With a fa, la, la, la, la.", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "And now we've told you all our loves,", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", "And likewise all our fears,", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "In hopes this declaration moves", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", "Some pity for our tears:", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Let's hear of no inconstancy— ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "We have too much of that at sea—", "") ?>
PoemLine("L4", "", "With a fa, la, la, la, la.", "") ?>
Poet("Charles Sackville, Earl of Dorset", "1638–1706") ?>
PoemEnd() ?>