MORE TALES FROM THE DEEP - Texts
The Greenland Whale Fishery
They took us jolly sailor lads
Out fishing for the whale
On the fourth day of August in 1864
Bound for Greenland we set sail
The lookout stood on the crosstrees high
With a spyglass in his hand
"There's a whale, there’s a whale, there's a whale fish," he cried
"And she blows at every span."
The captain stood on the quarterdeck
And a sod of a man was he
"Overhaul, overhaul, let your davitackles fall
And we'll launch them boats to sea."
We struck that whale and the line played out
But she gave a flourish with her tail
The boat capsized, we lost seven of our men
And we never caught that whale
Now the losin’ of seven fine seamen
Oh, it grieved the captain so
That the losin' of the bloody sperm whale
Oh, it grieved him ten times more
Now Greenland is a horrid place
Where us whaling lads have to go
Where the rose and the lilies never bloom in spring
Oh there's only ice and snow
Upphaf
Translated from Icelandic
I was born in a grey house
in a foggy land at the ocean's edge
a day in October, long ago
in that land was a forest
great, ancient and dark
wraiths rode nearby
every evening the shore bird
sang me an eternal song
whilst the waves crashed into the rocks
the house filled with telltales
and the lie about the world and myself
began there a day in October...
-Ingibjörg Haraldsdóttir trans. Egill Árni Pálsson
The Loch Ness Monster's Song
Sssnnnwhuffffll?
Hnwhuffl hhnnwfl hnfl hfl?
Gdroblboblhobngbl gbl gl g g g g glbgl.
Drublhaflablhaflubhafgabhaflhafl fl fl –
gm grawwwww grf grawf awfgm graw gm.
Hovoplodok – doplodovok – plovodokot-doplodokosh?
Splgraw fok fok splgrafhatchgabrlgabrl fok splfok!
Zgra kra gka fok!
Grof grawff gahf?
Gombl mbl bl –
blm plm,
blm plm,
blm plm,
blp.
-Edwin Morgan
Double, Double Toil and Trouble
Thrice the brinded cat hath mew'd
Thrice and once the hedge-pig whined
Harpier cries 'Tis time, 'tis time
Round about the cauldron go;
In the poison'd entrails throw
Toad, that under cold stone
Days and nights has thirty-one
Swelter'd venom sleeping got
Boil thou first i' the charmed pot
Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble
Fillet of a fenny snake
In the cauldron boil and bake;
Eye of newt and toe of frog
Wool of bat and tongue of dog
Adder's fork and blind-worm's sting
Lizard's leg and owlet's wing
For a charm of powerful trouble
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble
Scale of dragon, tooth of wolf
Witches' mummy, maw and gulf
Of the ravin'd salt-sea shark
Root of hemlock digg'd i' the dark
Fillet of a fenny snake
In the cauldron boil and bake;
Eye of newt and toe of frog
Wool of bat and tongue of dog
Finger of birth-strangled babe
Ditch-deliver'd by a drab
Make the gruel thick and slab:
Add thereto a tiger's chaudron
For the ingredients of our cauldron
Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn and cauldron bubble
By the pricking of my thumbs,
Something wicked this way comes,
Open, locks, whoever knocks.
-Wiliam Shakespeare, adapted by Jaakko Mäntjärvi, ed. Samuel Grace
Main on the Shore
Twas of a young maiden who lived all alone.
she lived all alone on the shore-o.
there was nothing she could find for to comfort her mind
but to roam all alone on the shore, shore, shore,
but to roam all alone on the shore.
‘twas of a young captain who sailed the sea,
let the winds blow high or blow low.
I will die, i will die!” this young captain did cry,
“if i can’t have that maid from the shore, shore, shore,
if i can’t have that maid from the shore.”
“i have lots of silver, i have lots of gold,
i have lots of costly fine fare-o.
i’ll divide, i’ll divide with my jolly ship’s crew.
if they’ll row me that maid from the shore, shore, shore,
if they’ll row me that maid from the shore.”
by subtle persuasion he got her on board.
let the winds blow high or blow low,
and he placed her away in his cabin below.
“here’s adieu to all sorrows and care, care, care,
here’s adieu to all sorrows and care.”
she sat herself down in his cabin below.
let the winds blow high or blow low,
where she sang so sweet, so soft and complete,
she sang sailors and captain asleep, sleep, sleep,
she sang sailors and captain asleep.
then she robbed him of silver, she robbed him of gold,
she robbed him of costly fine fare-o.
and she stole his broadsword instead of an oar,
and paddled her way to the shore, shore, shore,
and paddled her way to the shore.
“my men must be crazy, my men must be mad.
my men must be deep in despair-o.
for to let you away with your beauty so gay
and to paddle your way to the shore, shore, shore,
and to paddle your way to the shore.”
“your men was not crazy, your men was not mad.
your men was not deep in despair-o.
i deluded your sailors as well as yourself,
i’m a maiden again on the shore, shore, shore,
i’m a maiden again on the shore.”
Riders in the Sky
An old cowpoke went riding out
One dark and windy day
Upon a ridge he rested
As he went along his way
When all at once a mighty herd
Of red eyed cows he saw
Plowin' through the ragged skies
And up the cloudy draw
Their brands were still on fire
And their hooves were made of steel
Their horns were black and shiny
And their hot breath he could feel
A bolt of fear went through him
As they thundered through the sky
For he saw the riders coming hard
And he heard their mournful cry
Their faces gaunt
Their eyes were blurred
Their shirts all soaked with sweat
He's riding hard to catch that herd
But he ain't caught 'em yet
'Cause they've got to ride forever
On that range up in the sky
On horses snorting fire
As they ride on, hear their cry
As the riders loped on by him
He heard one call his name
'If you wanna save your soul
From hell a-riding on our range
Then, cowboy, change your ways today
Or with us you will ride
Trying to catch the devil's herd
Across these endless skies
Yippie-yi-o
Yippie-yi-yay
Ghost riders in the sky
Ghost riders in the sky
Ghost riders in the sky
Dalubaling
Translated from Rukai
Dearest father, mother, and the people of my tribe,
I am being married to the Ghost Lake.
When you see my headdress slowly disappear
into the whirlpool to the bottom of the lake,
That means I have entered the bottom of the lake.
My figure, my songs.
I will remain in the tribe forever.
My dearest Balhege [Snake God of Ghost Lake]
You are being married off.
You are leaving us, leaving the mountains,
the rivers, and the tribe,
being married off to the Ghost Lake.
You must remember all the things of the tribe.
Do not ever forget.
The River Driver
I was just the age of sixteen when I first went on the drive,
After six months hard labor, at home I did arrive.
I courted with a pretty girl, t'was her caused me to roam,
Now I'm just a river driver and I'm far away from home.
I'll eat when I am hungry and I'll drink when I am dry,
Get drunk whenever I'm ready, get sober by and by,
And if this river don't drown me, it's down I'll mean to roam,
For I'm a river driver and I'm far away from home.
I'll build a lonesome castle upon some mountain high,
Where she can sit and view me as I go passing by
Where she can sit and view me as I go marching on,
For I'm a river driver and I'm far away from home.
When I am old and feeble and in my sickness lie,
Just wrap me up in a blanket and lay me down to die
Just get a little bluebird to sing for me alone,
For I'm a river driver and I'm far away from home.
Fishing
Fishing, running out the bay,
Sailing, got her under way,
On the bank and steering straight,
Whipping breeze and tub of bait.
Traps and trawls and finger stalls,
Rubber boots and killick claws,
Lines, twines, ropes and coils,
Get sore hands and full of boils.
What a brave young banker's crew,
Foolish things cod-jiggers do,
Catching codfish, pick out dogfish,
Catching big fish, pick out small fish.
Haul up smelt and salmon, too,
Catching more than just a few,
Steady wind and thick'ning fog,
Bound for home to get more grog.
-Tara Wohlberg
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
The Greenland Whale Fishery
They took us jolly sailor lads
Out fishing for the whale
On the fourth day of August in 1864
Bound for Greenland we set sail
The lookout stood on the crosstrees high
With a spyglass in his hand
"There's a whale, there’s a whale, there's a whale fish," he cried
"And she blows at every span."
The captain stood on the quarterdeck
And a sod of a man was he
"Overhaul, overhaul, let your davitackles fall
And we'll launch them boats to sea."
We struck that whale and the line played out
But she gave a flourish with her tail
The boat capsized, we lost seven of our men
And we never caught that whale
Now the losin’ of seven fine seamen
Oh, it grieved the captain so
That the losin' of the bloody sperm whale
Oh, it grieved him ten times more
Now Greenland is a horrid place
Where us whaling lads have to go
Where the rose and the lilies never bloom in spring
Oh there's only ice and snow
Upphaf
Translated from Icelandic
I was born in a grey house
in a foggy land at the ocean's edge
a day in October, long ago
in that land was a forest
great, ancient and dark
wraiths rode nearby
every evening the shore bird
sang me an eternal song
whilst the waves crashed into the rocks
the house filled with telltales
and the lie about the world and myself
began there a day in October...
-Ingibjörg Haraldsdóttir trans. Egill Árni Pálsson
The Loch Ness Monster's Song
Sssnnnwhuffffll?
Hnwhuffl hhnnwfl hnfl hfl?
Gdroblboblhobngbl gbl gl g g g g glbgl.
Drublhaflablhaflubhafgabhaflhafl fl fl –
gm grawwwww grf grawf awfgm graw gm.
Hovoplodok – doplodovok – plovodokot-doplodokosh?
Splgraw fok fok splgrafhatchgabrlgabrl fok splfok!
Zgra kra gka fok!
Grof grawff gahf?
Gombl mbl bl –
blm plm,
blm plm,
blm plm,
blp.
-Edwin Morgan
Double, Double Toil and Trouble
Thrice the brinded cat hath mew'd
Thrice and once the hedge-pig whined
Harpier cries 'Tis time, 'tis time
Round about the cauldron go;
In the poison'd entrails throw
Toad, that under cold stone
Days and nights has thirty-one
Swelter'd venom sleeping got
Boil thou first i' the charmed pot
Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble
Fillet of a fenny snake
In the cauldron boil and bake;
Eye of newt and toe of frog
Wool of bat and tongue of dog
Adder's fork and blind-worm's sting
Lizard's leg and owlet's wing
For a charm of powerful trouble
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble
Scale of dragon, tooth of wolf
Witches' mummy, maw and gulf
Of the ravin'd salt-sea shark
Root of hemlock digg'd i' the dark
Fillet of a fenny snake
In the cauldron boil and bake;
Eye of newt and toe of frog
Wool of bat and tongue of dog
Finger of birth-strangled babe
Ditch-deliver'd by a drab
Make the gruel thick and slab:
Add thereto a tiger's chaudron
For the ingredients of our cauldron
Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn and cauldron bubble
By the pricking of my thumbs,
Something wicked this way comes,
Open, locks, whoever knocks.
-Wiliam Shakespeare, adapted by Jaakko Mäntjärvi, ed. Samuel Grace
Main on the Shore
Twas of a young maiden who lived all alone.
she lived all alone on the shore-o.
there was nothing she could find for to comfort her mind
but to roam all alone on the shore, shore, shore,
but to roam all alone on the shore.
‘twas of a young captain who sailed the sea,
let the winds blow high or blow low.
I will die, i will die!” this young captain did cry,
“if i can’t have that maid from the shore, shore, shore,
if i can’t have that maid from the shore.”
“i have lots of silver, i have lots of gold,
i have lots of costly fine fare-o.
i’ll divide, i’ll divide with my jolly ship’s crew.
if they’ll row me that maid from the shore, shore, shore,
if they’ll row me that maid from the shore.”
by subtle persuasion he got her on board.
let the winds blow high or blow low,
and he placed her away in his cabin below.
“here’s adieu to all sorrows and care, care, care,
here’s adieu to all sorrows and care.”
she sat herself down in his cabin below.
let the winds blow high or blow low,
where she sang so sweet, so soft and complete,
she sang sailors and captain asleep, sleep, sleep,
she sang sailors and captain asleep.
then she robbed him of silver, she robbed him of gold,
she robbed him of costly fine fare-o.
and she stole his broadsword instead of an oar,
and paddled her way to the shore, shore, shore,
and paddled her way to the shore.
“my men must be crazy, my men must be mad.
my men must be deep in despair-o.
for to let you away with your beauty so gay
and to paddle your way to the shore, shore, shore,
and to paddle your way to the shore.”
“your men was not crazy, your men was not mad.
your men was not deep in despair-o.
i deluded your sailors as well as yourself,
i’m a maiden again on the shore, shore, shore,
i’m a maiden again on the shore.”
Riders in the Sky
An old cowpoke went riding out
One dark and windy day
Upon a ridge he rested
As he went along his way
When all at once a mighty herd
Of red eyed cows he saw
Plowin' through the ragged skies
And up the cloudy draw
Their brands were still on fire
And their hooves were made of steel
Their horns were black and shiny
And their hot breath he could feel
A bolt of fear went through him
As they thundered through the sky
For he saw the riders coming hard
And he heard their mournful cry
Their faces gaunt
Their eyes were blurred
Their shirts all soaked with sweat
He's riding hard to catch that herd
But he ain't caught 'em yet
'Cause they've got to ride forever
On that range up in the sky
On horses snorting fire
As they ride on, hear their cry
As the riders loped on by him
He heard one call his name
'If you wanna save your soul
From hell a-riding on our range
Then, cowboy, change your ways today
Or with us you will ride
Trying to catch the devil's herd
Across these endless skies
Yippie-yi-o
Yippie-yi-yay
Ghost riders in the sky
Ghost riders in the sky
Ghost riders in the sky
Dalubaling
Translated from Rukai
Dearest father, mother, and the people of my tribe,
I am being married to the Ghost Lake.
When you see my headdress slowly disappear
into the whirlpool to the bottom of the lake,
That means I have entered the bottom of the lake.
My figure, my songs.
I will remain in the tribe forever.
My dearest Balhege [Snake God of Ghost Lake]
You are being married off.
You are leaving us, leaving the mountains,
the rivers, and the tribe,
being married off to the Ghost Lake.
You must remember all the things of the tribe.
Do not ever forget.
The River Driver
I was just the age of sixteen when I first went on the drive,
After six months hard labor, at home I did arrive.
I courted with a pretty girl, t'was her caused me to roam,
Now I'm just a river driver and I'm far away from home.
I'll eat when I am hungry and I'll drink when I am dry,
Get drunk whenever I'm ready, get sober by and by,
And if this river don't drown me, it's down I'll mean to roam,
For I'm a river driver and I'm far away from home.
I'll build a lonesome castle upon some mountain high,
Where she can sit and view me as I go passing by
Where she can sit and view me as I go marching on,
For I'm a river driver and I'm far away from home.
When I am old and feeble and in my sickness lie,
Just wrap me up in a blanket and lay me down to die
Just get a little bluebird to sing for me alone,
For I'm a river driver and I'm far away from home.
Fishing
Fishing, running out the bay,
Sailing, got her under way,
On the bank and steering straight,
Whipping breeze and tub of bait.
Traps and trawls and finger stalls,
Rubber boots and killick claws,
Lines, twines, ropes and coils,
Get sore hands and full of boils.
What a brave young banker's crew,
Foolish things cod-jiggers do,
Catching codfish, pick out dogfish,
Catching big fish, pick out small fish.
Haul up smelt and salmon, too,
Catching more than just a few,
Steady wind and thick'ning fog,
Bound for home to get more grog.
-Tara Wohlberg
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
- St. Philip the Deacon Lutheran Church (Plymouth, MN)
- Jason Hetelle
- Kaleidoscope Quartet
- Kate Vishneski
- Jamie Marshall
- Emma Plehal
- Bea Rendón
