THE PHŒNICIAN MERCHANT TAR

(Leland Bryant Ross)

Some boast of Boston whalers, and some of Heyerdahl,
Of fearsome Viking sailors, of clipper ships and tall,
But of all the world's seagoing men the bravest man, by fa-ar,
Was that round-boat, trireme-rowing man, the Phœnician merchant tar!

Whene'er his job demahnded that he cleave a hurricane,
With doughty heart undaunted he'd cleave that storm in twain —
With one eye fixed on Ashtoreth and one upon the polar sta-ar,
Pulling feats to make one catch her breath, the Phœnician merchant tar!

His courage wouldn't falter, come lightning, Leviathan or hail,
Or pirates based in Malta : he'd his faith in Ashtoreth and Baal.
He'd trust in mighty Moloch, and row from Crete to Gibraltá-ar,
With the floorboards in a toelock, the Phœnician merchant tar!

This is part (between Jonah 1:7 and 1:8) of my "comic worship oratorio" Jonah was a prophet (minor), 1997, © Liland Brajant Ros'. The so-called oratorio is a bit misleadingly subtitled Gilbert & Sullivan meet God Almighty — the G&S component is quite small, basically limited to two components, "Bow, bow, ye Ninevitic masses (Tan-tan-ta-ra Tzing-boom)!" and "'Neath a tree by a river a prophet of God" (the latter to Tit-Willow). The rest is mostly hymnic. The "oratorio" has been performed twice, and may be again sometime.

Click to play (filename: BRITGREN)

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