Found this 15th c. sea song, no title given, so I have taken the command words from stanza 2. It is incorrectly called a shanty in some sources.
"The following curious ballad, which is by far the earliest yet discovered....in a MS of the time of Henry VI, in the library of Trinity College, Cambridge R iii 19. Ships were fitted out, "from different ports, with cargos of pilgrims, to the shrine of St. James of Compostella;" the pilgrims seem to have been regarded as "articles of exportation."
Notes and ballad from J. O. Halliwell, 1841, "Early Naval Ballads of England," Percy Society, printed by C. Richards. Canadian Libraries, on line, www.archive.org/details/earlynavalballad2halluoft
HOWE! HISSA! 15c Sea Song
Men may leve all gamys, That saylen to Seynt Jamys; For many a man hit gramys, When they begin to sail. 2 For when they have take the see, At Sandwyche, or at Wynchylsee, Brystow, or where that hit bee, Theyr herts begin to fayle. 3 Anone the mastyr commaundeth fast To hys shyp-men in all the hast To dress hem sone about the mast Theyr takelyng to make. 4 With "Howe! hissa!" then they cry, "What, howte! mate, thow stondyst to ny, Thy felow may nat hale the by;" Thus they begyn to crake. 5 A boy or tweyne anone up-styen, And over thwarte the sayle-yerde lyen;- "Y how! taylia!" the remenaunte cryen, And pull with all theyr myght. 6 "Bestowe the boote, bote-swayne, anon, That our pylgryms may pley thereon; For som ar lyke to cowgh and grone, Or hit be full mydnyght." 7 "Hale the bowelyne! now, vere the shete!- Cooke, make redy anoone our mete, Our pylgryms have no lust to ete, I pray God yeve him rest." 8 "Go to the helm! what, howe! no nere? Steward, felow! a pot of bere!" "Ye shall have, sir, with good chere, Anone all of the best." 9 "Y howe! trussa! hale in the brayles! Thow halyst nat, be God, thow fayles O se howe well owre good ship salyle!" And thus they say among. 10 "Hale in the wartake!" Hit shall be done." "Steward! cover the boorde anone, And set bred and salt thereone, And tarry nat to long." 11 Then cometh oone and seyth, "be mery; Ye shall have a storme or a pery." "Holde thow thy pese! thow canst no whery, Thow medlyst wondyr sore." 12 Thys menewhyle the pylgryms ly, And have theyr bowlys fast theym by, And cry afthyr hote malvesy, "Thow helps for to restore." 13 And som wold have a saltyd tost, For they myght ete neyther sode ne rost; A man myght sone pay for theyr cost, As for oo day or twayne. 14 Some layde theyr bookys on theyr kne, And rad so long they myght nat se,- "Allas! myne hede woll cleve on thre!" Thus seyth another certayne. 15 Then commeth owre owner lyke a lorde, And speketk many a royall worde, And dresseth hym to the hygh borde, To see all thyng be well. 16 Anone he calleth a carpentere, And biddeth hym bryng with hym hys gere, To make the cabans here and there, With many a febyl cell. 17 A sak of strawe wewre there ryght good, For som must lyg theym in theyr hood; I had as lefe be in the wood, Without mete or drynk. 18 For when that we shall go to bedde, The pumpe was nygh our bedde hede, A man were as good to be dede, As smell thereof the stynk.
[Oh, those were the days!]
Notes from privateer - "Howe-hissa!~ is still used aboard deepwater-men as Ho-hissa! instead of Ho-hoist away!... Y-howe! taylia! is Yo--ho! tally! or Tally and belay!- which means hauling aft and making fast the sheet of a mainsailor foresail.
That website gives quite a different version from Halliwell, simplified and verses changed or omitted.