Versos English John Skinner The British Tar

English poem

The British Tar

by (1637–1690)

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Come all you thoughtless young men, and a warning take by me, And never leave your native homes to ploug'd the raging sea; For I have ploug’d the raging sea, these twenty years and more, But now I'm turned adrift to starve on my native shore.

When war first assailed us, I quickly left my trade, My country was in danger, I flew to lend my aid, And in my country’s service, lang, lang fatigues I bore. But now I am turn’d adrift, to starve on ray native shore.

By storms and raging tempests, three times I have shipwreck’d been, And many a blood battle upon the seas I've seen;; I have seen the canon’s glaring flash, and heard the murdering roar, But now I am turned adrift, to starve on my native shore.

The British Seamen’s valour to all the world is known, We conquer still where’er we go, the actros's all our own. The Metering of haughty Gaul, triumphantly we bore; But now we are turn’d adrift, to starve on our native shore.

Should hostile fleets e'er venture, to sail the raging main, True hearts of oak we British tars we’d push them back again; We'll bravely bring their ships to port, as we have we done before; So help us when we are in want on our own native shore.

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