The Mermaid (George Dyson)

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• (Posted 2023-10-11)  CPDL #76245:     

Editor: David Anderson (submitted 2023-10-11).   Score information: Letter, 12 pages, 745 kB   Copyright: Personal

Edition notes:

General Information

Title: The Mermaid
Composer: George Dyson
Lyricist: Traditional
Number of voices: 4vv   Voicing: SATB
Genre: Secular, Partsong

Language: English
Instruments: A cappella

First published: 1922 Stainer & Bell
Description: 

Original text and translations

English text

One Friday morn when we set sail,
    And our ship not far from the land,
We there did espy a fair pretty maid,
    With a comb and a glass in her hand.
        While the raging seas did roar,
        And the stormy winds did blow,
        And we jolly sailor boys were sitting up aloft,
        And the landlubbers lying down below.

Up spoke the Captain of our gallant ship,
    And a well-spoken Captain was he,
“I’ve married a wife in fair London town,
    And this night she a widow will be.”
        For the raging seas did roar,
        And the stormy winds did blow,
        And we jolly sailor boys were sitting up aloft,
        And the landlubbers lying down below.

And then upspoke the little cabin boy,
    And a fair-haired boy was he,
“I’ve a father and a mother in fair Portsmouth town,
    And this night they will weep for me.”
        For the raging seas did roar,
        And the stormy winds did blow,
        And we jolly sailor boys were sitting up aloft,
        And the landlubbers lying down below.

Three times round went our gallant ship,
    And three times round went she,
Then three times round went our gallant ship,
    And she sank to the bottom of the sea.
        For the raging seas did roar,
        And the stormy winds did blow,
        And we jolly sailor boys were sitting up aloft,
        And the landlubbers lying down below.