Aught afore the mountains

And afore ye seven seas

T’were created something else

As a few now still believe

And a beauty that they were

And so shall e’er be

The fish-folk of the depths

The fair maidens of the sea

 

Their voices lilt and sway

And sing out loud and long

But deadly be the noise

Of the mermaid’s lovely song

For many be there now

A great and hostly throng

For while Hercules was mighty

A mermaid be more strong

 

Ye see, long ago I sailed

And we chanced upon a host

Not a chance did we stand,

They came straight upon the boat

The sirens sang right with ‘em

And the men bleated like some goats

But I knew that while they smiled

We’d not much longer be afloat

 

Captured that day was my vessel

And a portion of me crew

Doubtless a pitiable loss

But they were stewed

Perhaps if they’d not been

So leery and so lewd

I’d have a few more sailors

And a few more boats from which to choose

 

As it is the booty’s low

And it stands to reason

That I’ll have another hungry winter

Because we’ve come to hurricane season

My boat so ravaged by the fish-wives

That I couldn’t manage weasling

An old fisher out his rig

Nor honorably take to seizing

 

But my ship didn’t go that day

Not on its own, at least

For they took my cargo and my heart

In the waters of the East