One simple song which seems to endure over the decades is "Now is the Hour"

From memory:

Now is the hour, when we must say goodbye
Soon you'll be sailing far across the sea
While you're away, oh please remember me
And when you return you'll find me waiting here

Here is a page with lots of lovely info, including a far nicer set of words (which may not scan to the tune) translated from the Maori language.

cached Google page of folksong.org.nz

Helen