Classic Poem

Oh blithely shines the bonny sun
Upon the Isle of May,
And blithely comes the morning tide
Into St Andrew's Bay.
Then up, gude-man, the breeze is fair,
And up, my braw bairns three;
There's gold in yonder bonny boat
That sails so well the sea.
When life's last sun goes feebly down,
And death comes to our door,
When all the world's a dream to us,
We'll go to sea no more.

I've seen the waves as blue as air,
I've seen them green as grass;
But I never feared their heaving yet,
From Grangemouth to the Bass.
I've seen the sea as black as pitch,
I've seen it white as snow:
But I never feared its foaming yet,
Though the winds blew high or low.
When life's last sun goes feebly down,
And death comes to our door,
When all the world's a dream to us,
We'll go to sea no more.

I never liked the landsman's life,
The earth is aye the same;
Give me the ocean for my dower,
My vessel for my hame.
Give me the fields that no man ploughs,
The farm that pays no fee:
Give me the bonny fish that glance
So gladly through the sea.
When life's last sun goes feebly down,
And death comes to our door,
When all the world's a dream to us,
We'll go to sea no more.

The sun is up, and round Inchkeith
The breezes softly blaw;
The gude-man has his lines aboard--
Awa, my bairns, awa.
An ye'll be back by gloaming grey,
An bright the fire will low,
An in your tales and songs we'll tell
How weel the boat ye row.
When life's last sun goes feebly down,
And death comes to our door,
When all the world's a dream to us,
We'll go to sea no more.