Hamborger Veermaster from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
´De Hamborger Veermaster´ (Standard German: ´Der Hamburger Viermaster´, English: Hamburg's four-master) is a famous sea shanty sung in Low German. It was written in 1849 and is partly in English and partly in Low German. It was and is still sometimes, in particular in Northern Germany, the historical geographical distribution of Low German, sung as a work song. This song is normally sung when sails are set and therefore it hardly will be heard in rural areas.
Ick heff mol een Hamborger Veermaster sehn,
|:To my hooday!:|De Masten so scheef as den Schipper sien Been,
To my hoo day, hoo day, ho - ho - ho - ho!
I once saw a four-master from Hamburg.
|:To my hooday!:|
Her masts were as crooked as the skipper's legs.
To my hoo day, hoo day, ho - ho - ho - ho!
Refrain
|: Blow, boys, blow, for Californio,
There's plenty of gold, so I am told,
On the banks of Sacramento.:|
|: Blow, boys, blow, for Californio,
There's plenty of gold, so I am told,
On the banks of Sacramento.:|
Verse 2
Dat Deck weer vull Isen, vull Dreck un vull Smeer.
|:To my hooday!:|
„Rein Schipp“ weer den Oll'n sin scheunstes Pläseer.
To my hoo day, hoo day, ho - ho - ho - ho!
The deck was full of iron, dirt and grease.
|:To my hooday!:|
´Clean the ship´ was the captain's most beautiful joy.
To my hoo day, hoo day, ho - ho - ho - ho!
Verse 3
De Kombüs weer vull Lüüs, de Kajüt weer vull Schiet,
|:To my hooday!:||:To my hooday!:|
De Beschüten, de leupen von sülvens all wiet.
To my hoo day, hoo day, ho - ho - ho - ho!
The galley was full of louses, the cabin was full of ****.
|:To my hooday!:|
The biscuits walked away all by themselves.
To my hoo day, hoo day, ho - ho - ho - ho!
Verse 4
Dat Soltfleesch weer greun, un de Speck wör vull Modn.
|:To my hooday!:|
Un Köm geef dat blots an Wiehnachtsobend.
To my hoo day, hoo day, ho - ho - ho - ho!
The salted meat was green, the lard was full of maggots
|:To my hooday!:|
Snaps was only there at Christmas Eve.
To my hoo day, hoo day, ho - ho - ho - ho!
Verse 5
Un wulln wi mol seiln, ick sech ji dat nur,
|:To my hooday!:|
Denn lööp he dree vorut un veer wedder retur.
To my hoo day, hoo day, ho - ho - ho - ho!
And if we wanted to sail, I merely say,
|:To my hooday!:|
She moved three feet ahead and four back again.
To my hoo day, hoo day, ho - ho - ho - ho!
Verse 6
Un as dat Schipp, so weer ok de Kaptein,
|:To my hooday!:|
De Lüüd för dat Schipp, de weern ok blots schangheit.
To my hoo day, hoo day, ho - ho - ho - ho!
And like the ship, so the captain was,
|:To my hooday!:|
The men for the ship were all shanghaied.
To my hoo day, hoo day, ho - ho - ho - ho!
My favorite sea chanty is the classic "
South Australia." Heave away now. Smoke yair peep later, mate.