To My Friends.

I haven’t discovered what is worthy on the Dry Land —
Here any action is but a striving after wind.
And I’m agreed that everybody is an island —
Then it’ll be right to leave the Dry Land for the Sea.

So in despite of all my cares and affairs,
And notwithstanding of the Dry Land’s tricks and shifts,
Take up me out to the Sea, O dear sailors —
My hearted dream is to keep watches on a ship!

All those being on the Dry Land love but gold,
The path they walk is lighted up by its dim light.
And there are sailors on the Sea Enormous Scope —
The plucky ones who fight their path in the sunlight.

So in despite of all my cares and affairs,
And notwithstanding of the Dry Land’s tricks and shifts,
Take up me out to the Sea, O dear sailors —
My hearted dream is to keep watches on a ship!

Ye know well that two can do what can’t do one,
And always get a proper guerdon for their work;
That good and bad which comes to them they part in half —
I will agree on any hard and painful work!

So in despite of all my cares and affairs,
And notwithstanding of the Dry Land’s tricks and shifts,
Take up me out to the Sea, O dear sailors —
My hearted dream is to keep watches on a ship!

1972.