The Irish Sailor

All you young men, I pray attend to these few lines I write,
My mind being bent on rambling, to England I took my flight;
I being young and foolish, at home I could not stay,
But left my tender parents, and from them stole away.

I hired with a merchant of honour and renown;
I lived with him quite happy til fortune seemed to frown;
He had a handsome daughter, few to her could compare,
The lady fell in love with me, and now is in despair.

But when her father came to her the truth she had made known;
He found she loved me dearly , which made him for to frown.
Said he, 'I'll soon prevent her, and that without delay;
I'll send him out in my own ship that's shortly bound for sea.'

The lady was distracted, to her bedchamber flew -
She says, 'My lovely Jemmy, then I must die for you!
Some noble knights of honour their offers I did deny,
My life I now would give to embrace my sailor boy!'

But, O, my cruel parents, for the sake of earthly store,
They sent my darling boy from me where the seas do loudly roar;
He was both neat and slender, he was my chiefest joy;
No lord or nobleman I see like my Irish sailor boy.

One evening as I chanced to roam along the pleasant strand,
I saw my father's ship arrivem the captain he did land;
I went to him without delay, and offered fifty pound
All for to let my father know young Jemmy he was drowned.

He kindly did embrace it, and now he's gone away;
Great tidings to him he has brought that's happened on the sea;
And when the same he did relate, great joy it did afford,
That Jenny by a swelling wave had been swept overboard.

I walked along quite easy till I came to the quay,
Where I embraced my sailor boy and blest the happy day;
But to make my father sure believe that he lay in the deep,
When returning home again I bitterly did weep.

That night when all was silent I made good use of time;
Full fifteen thousand pounds I stole while they were drinking wine;
In his absence I proved loyal, and crowned our nuptial joy,
I bid farewell to sorrow, and wed my sailor boy.