NEPTUNE AND BRITANNIA
INeptune asked of Britannia,‘Whence do your Seamen come?Are they born in the fields or forests,Or born in the city slum?Are they born in the lofty palace,Or born in the marsh or fen?In the name of the Golden Trident,Where do you get your men?’IIBritannia rose in her armour,Her brazen buckler rang,And the waves of the world were silent,As her seamen’s creed she sang.‘In the name of the Golden Trident,Which both of us dare to wield,In the name of the Isles of Britain,In the name of the Brazen Shield;In the name of the wives and mothers—Brave beyond mortal ken,You shall learn how in pride and honour,Britannia rears her men.III‘Back in the mists of fable,A ship once put to sea,And she sailed to the dim horizon,For the wind was fair and free.She sailed to the Mighty PillarsWhere the floods of the Great Sea ran;Born of the fame that girt her name,The seamen race began.IV‘Born of that brave adventure,The latent spark took fire;And down to the sea there followedThe sons of the seaman sire.It spread o’er the Isles of Britain,And grew with the birth of guns;Let them beware who challenge thereBritannia’s sailor sons.’VNeptune laughed as he listened,Laughed till the ocean rolled.‘Woe to the men of the sea,’ he cried,‘And woe to the over-bold.Though they may think to have conquered,Still will I have my share;Grant they be shrived.’ With that he divedDown to his ocean lair.* * * * *The waves of the deep rolled onward,Swelled in a mighty soar,Tottered and broke in a thunder strokeUpon Britannia’s shore.
INeptune asked of Britannia,‘Whence do your Seamen come?Are they born in the fields or forests,Or born in the city slum?Are they born in the lofty palace,Or born in the marsh or fen?In the name of the Golden Trident,Where do you get your men?’IIBritannia rose in her armour,Her brazen buckler rang,And the waves of the world were silent,As her seamen’s creed she sang.‘In the name of the Golden Trident,Which both of us dare to wield,In the name of the Isles of Britain,In the name of the Brazen Shield;In the name of the wives and mothers—Brave beyond mortal ken,You shall learn how in pride and honour,Britannia rears her men.III‘Back in the mists of fable,A ship once put to sea,And she sailed to the dim horizon,For the wind was fair and free.She sailed to the Mighty PillarsWhere the floods of the Great Sea ran;Born of the fame that girt her name,The seamen race began.IV‘Born of that brave adventure,The latent spark took fire;And down to the sea there followedThe sons of the seaman sire.It spread o’er the Isles of Britain,And grew with the birth of guns;Let them beware who challenge thereBritannia’s sailor sons.’VNeptune laughed as he listened,Laughed till the ocean rolled.‘Woe to the men of the sea,’ he cried,‘And woe to the over-bold.Though they may think to have conquered,Still will I have my share;Grant they be shrived.’ With that he divedDown to his ocean lair.* * * * *The waves of the deep rolled onward,Swelled in a mighty soar,Tottered and broke in a thunder strokeUpon Britannia’s shore.
I
Neptune asked of Britannia,‘Whence do your Seamen come?Are they born in the fields or forests,Or born in the city slum?Are they born in the lofty palace,Or born in the marsh or fen?In the name of the Golden Trident,Where do you get your men?’
Neptune asked of Britannia,
‘Whence do your Seamen come?
Are they born in the fields or forests,
Or born in the city slum?
Are they born in the lofty palace,
Or born in the marsh or fen?
In the name of the Golden Trident,
Where do you get your men?’
II
Britannia rose in her armour,Her brazen buckler rang,And the waves of the world were silent,As her seamen’s creed she sang.‘In the name of the Golden Trident,Which both of us dare to wield,In the name of the Isles of Britain,In the name of the Brazen Shield;In the name of the wives and mothers—Brave beyond mortal ken,You shall learn how in pride and honour,Britannia rears her men.
Britannia rose in her armour,
Her brazen buckler rang,
And the waves of the world were silent,
As her seamen’s creed she sang.
‘In the name of the Golden Trident,
Which both of us dare to wield,
In the name of the Isles of Britain,
In the name of the Brazen Shield;
In the name of the wives and mothers—
Brave beyond mortal ken,
You shall learn how in pride and honour,
Britannia rears her men.
III
‘Back in the mists of fable,A ship once put to sea,And she sailed to the dim horizon,For the wind was fair and free.She sailed to the Mighty PillarsWhere the floods of the Great Sea ran;Born of the fame that girt her name,The seamen race began.
‘Back in the mists of fable,
A ship once put to sea,
And she sailed to the dim horizon,
For the wind was fair and free.
She sailed to the Mighty Pillars
Where the floods of the Great Sea ran;
Born of the fame that girt her name,
The seamen race began.
IV
‘Born of that brave adventure,The latent spark took fire;And down to the sea there followedThe sons of the seaman sire.It spread o’er the Isles of Britain,And grew with the birth of guns;Let them beware who challenge thereBritannia’s sailor sons.’
‘Born of that brave adventure,
The latent spark took fire;
And down to the sea there followed
The sons of the seaman sire.
It spread o’er the Isles of Britain,
And grew with the birth of guns;
Let them beware who challenge there
Britannia’s sailor sons.’
V
Neptune laughed as he listened,Laughed till the ocean rolled.‘Woe to the men of the sea,’ he cried,‘And woe to the over-bold.Though they may think to have conquered,Still will I have my share;Grant they be shrived.’ With that he divedDown to his ocean lair.
Neptune laughed as he listened,
Laughed till the ocean rolled.
‘Woe to the men of the sea,’ he cried,
‘And woe to the over-bold.
Though they may think to have conquered,
Still will I have my share;
Grant they be shrived.’ With that he dived
Down to his ocean lair.
* * * * *
The waves of the deep rolled onward,Swelled in a mighty soar,Tottered and broke in a thunder strokeUpon Britannia’s shore.
The waves of the deep rolled onward,
Swelled in a mighty soar,
Tottered and broke in a thunder stroke
Upon Britannia’s shore.