Sir Richard Grenville's Farewell
Traditional:
courtesy of www.SailorSongs.com
Who seeks the way to win renown, or flies with wings of his desire
Who seeks to wear the laureate crown, or hath the mind that would aspire:
Let him his native soil eschew, let him go range and seek anew.
Each haughty heart is well content with every chance that shall betide;
No hap can hinder his intent he steadfast stands, though fortune slide.
The sun, quoth he, doth shine as well abroad as erst where I did dwell.
In change of streams each fish can live each fowl content with every air;
Each haughty heart remaineth still and not be drowned in deep despair:
Wherefore I judge all lands alike to haughty hearts who fortune seek.
To pass the seas some think a toil some think it strange abroad to roam;
Some think it a grief to leave their soil their parents, kinfolks, and their home.
Think so who list, I like it not I must abroad to try my lot.
Who lists at home at cart to drudge and cark and care for worldly trash,
With buckled shoes let him go trudge instead of lance or whip to slash:
A mind that base his kind will show of carrion sweet to feed a crow.
If Jason of that mind had been the Grecians when they came to Troy
Had never so the Trojans foiled nor never put them to such annoy:
Wherefore who lust may live at home to purchase fame I will go roam.
The author of this website has put a lot of time and effort into gathering the greatest collection of sea shanties for the world to enjoy - There are songs that have been to sung to a job of work at sea for many, many years and collecting them has been a great endeavour. - Roger Chartier has made the effort out of his own interest and the requests that he has gotten to do this work from fellow musicians who wanted a good source of sea shanties to draw on and learn from. He has been told that for this effort he is a remarkable man.
