{"id":142,"date":"2019-06-27T03:17:38","date_gmt":"2019-06-27T03:17:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/exit78.com\/poems\/?p=142"},"modified":"2019-06-27T03:24:55","modified_gmt":"2019-06-27T03:24:55","slug":"sir-patrick-spens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/exit78.com\/poems\/sir-patrick-spens\/","title":{"rendered":"Sir Patrick Spens"},"content":{"rendered":"

2 versions
\nAnonymous<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"The<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

Version 1<\/h3>\n

The king sits in Dunfermline toune
\nDrinking the blude reid wine,
\n\u2018O whar will I get skeely sailor,
\nTo sail this ship o\u2019 mine?\u2019<\/p>\n

\"Sir<\/a>Up and spak an eldern knicht,
\nSat at the kings richt kne:
\n\u2018Sir Patrick Spens is the best sailor
\nThat sails upon the se.\u2019<\/p>\n

The king has written a braid letter,
\nAnd signed it wi his hand,
\nAnd sent it to Sir Patrick Spens,
\nWas walking on the strand.<\/p>\n

To Noroway! to Noroway!
\nto Noroway oer the faem!
\nThe king’s daughter to Noroway
\n‘Tis thou maun bring her hame.<\/p>\n

The first line that Sir Patrick red,
\nA loud lauch lauched he;
\nThe next line that Sir Patrick red,
\nThe teir blinded his ee.<\/p>\n

\u2018O wha is this has don this deid,
\nThis ill deid don to me,
\nTo send me out this time o\u2019 the yeir,
\nTo sail upon the se! \u2018<\/p>\n

\u2018Mak haste, mak haste, my mirry men,
\nOur guid ship sails the morne:\u2019
\n\u2018O say na sae, my master deir,
\nI feir a deadlie storme.<\/p>\n

\u2018Yestereen I saw the new moone,
\nWi the auld moone in hir arme, <\/a>
\nAnd I feir, I feir, my master deir ,
\nThat we will cum to harme.\u2019<\/p>\n

O loth, o loth,
\nThe Scots lords were
\nTo weet their cork-heild schoone;
\nBot lang owre a\u2019 the play were playd,
\nThair hats they swam aboone.<\/p>\n

O lang, lang may their ladies sit,
\nWi their fans into their hand,
\nOr ere they se Sir Patrick Spens
\nCum sailing to the strand.<\/p>\n

O lang, lang may the ladies stand,
\nWi thair gold kems in their hair,
\nWaiting for thair ain deir lords,
\nFor they\u2019ll se thame na mair.<\/p>\n

Haf owre, haf owre to Aberdour,
\nIt\u2019s fiftie fadom deip,
\nAnd thair lies guid Sir Patrick Spens,
\nWi the Scots lords at his feit.<\/p>\n

\n

Version 2<\/h3>\n

I. The Sailing<\/strong>
\n<\/i>THE king sits in Dunfermline town
\nDrinking the blude-red wine;
\n\u2018O whare will I get a skeely skipper
\nTo sail this new ship o\u2019 mine?\u2019<\/p>\n

O up and spak an eldern knight,
\nSat at the king\u2019s right knee;
\n\u2018Sir Patrick Spens is the best sailor
\nThat ever sail\u2019d the sea.\u2019<\/p>\n

Our king has written a braid letter,
\nAnd seal\u2019d it with his hand,
\nAnd sent it to Sir Patrick Spens,
\nWas walking on the strand.<\/p>\n

\u2018To Noroway, to Noroway,
\nTo Noroway o\u2019er the faem;
\nThe king\u2019s daughter o\u2019 Noroway,
\n\u2018Tis thou must bring her hame.\u2019<\/p>\n

The first word that Sir Patrick read
\nSo loud, loud laugh\u2019d he;
\nThe neist word that Sir Patrick read
\nThe tear blinded his e\u2019e.<\/p>\n

\u2018O wha is this has done this deed
\nAnd tauld the king o\u2019 me,
\nTo send us out, at this time o\u2019 year,
\nTo sail upon the sea?<\/p>\n

\u2018Be it wind, be it weet, be it hail, be it sleet,
\nOur ship must sail the faem;
\nThe king\u2019s daughter o\u2019 Noroway,
\n\u2018Tis we must fetch her hame.\u2019<\/p>\n

They hoysed their sails on Monenday morn
\nWi\u2019 a\u2019 the speed they may;
\nThey hae landed in Noroway
\nUpon a Wodensday.<\/p>\n

II. The Return<\/em><\/h3>\n

\u2018Mak ready, mak ready, my merry men a\u2019!
\nOur gude ship sails the morn.\u2019
\n\u2018Now ever alack, my master dear,
\nI fear a deadly storm.<\/p>\n

\u2018I saw the new moon late yestreen
\nWi\u2019 the auld moon in her arm;
\nAnd if we gang to sea, master,
\nI fear we\u2019ll come to harm.\u2019<\/p>\n

They hadna sail\u2019d a league, a league,
\nA league but barely three,
\nWhen the lift grew dark, and the wind blew loud,
\nAnd gurly grew the sea.<\/p>\n

The ankers brak, and the topmast lap,
\nIt was sic a deadly storm:
\nAnd the waves cam owre the broken ship
\nTill a\u2019 her sides were torn.<\/p>\n

\u2018Go fetch a web o\u2019 the silken claith,
\nAnother o\u2019 the twine,
\nAnd wap them into our ship\u2019s side,
\nAnd let nae the sea come in.\u2019<\/p>\n

They fetch\u2019d a web o\u2019 the silken claith,
\nAnother o\u2019 the twine,
\nAnd they wapp\u2019d them round that gude ship\u2019s side,
\nBut still the sea came in.<\/p>\n

O laith, laith were our gude Scots lords
\nTo wet their cork-heel\u2019d shoon;
\nBut lang or a\u2019 the play was play\u2019d
\nThey wat their hats aboon.<\/p>\n

And mony was the feather bed
\nThat flatter\u2019d on the faem;
\nAnd mony was the gude lord\u2019s son
\nThat never mair cam hame.<\/p>\n

O lang, lang may the ladies sit,
\nWi\u2019 their fans into their hand,
\nBefore they see Sir Patrick Spens
\nCome sailing to the strand!<\/p>\n

And lang, lang may the maidens sit
\nWi\u2019 their gowd kames in their hair,
\nA-waiting for their ain dear loves!
\nFor them they\u2019ll see nae mair.<\/p>\n

Half-owre, half-owre to Aberdour,
\n\u2018Tis fifty fathoms deep;
\nAnd there lies gude Sir Patrick Spens,
\nWi\u2019 the Scots lords at his feet!<\/p>\n

\n

“Sir Patrick Spens” is one of the most popular of the Child Ballads (No. 58) (Roud 41), and is of Scottish origin. It is a maritime ballad about a disaster at sea.  Wikipedia<\/a><\/p>\n

References and Interpretations<\/strong><\/h3>\n