Classic Poem

When the saucy Arethusa fought the big Belle Poule,
— That's the Pretty Little Hen, you know —
We fired shot and shell, till we made it hot as — well,
The merry little bonfire down below!
Then when our shot gave out, our Captain gave a shout,
— An' a fightin' little bantam cock was he —
" Come, turn your pockets out, or I'll flay you wi' the knout,
An' I'll sink the Arethusa in the sea! "

So the saucy Arethusa plucked the feathers off Belle Poule,
An' singed an' trussed the Pretty Little Hen;
We plucked her pretty crest, and we drove her back to Brest,
All speckled gold an' silver, en' to en'.
Then Captaine Parley-Voo, he swore him black an' blue,
He'd court-martial every mother's son o' we:
For he swore our guns o' brass had spattered him wi' glass,
An' we'd broke the Law o' Nations on the sea!

So when the Court was set, our bantam up an' crowed,
— That's our Captain, sir: no disrespec' to he —
" D'ye think but for Laws o' Nations I'd fire glass — be blowed! —
An' disgrace the Arethusa — an' the Sea?
The poor old Parley-Voos must be mighty flush o' sous,
When they think gold an' silver bits o' glass,
For we turned our pockets out, an' we fired them wi' a shout,
An' where's the Law o' Nations 'gin firin' off your brass? "

Then the ol' Court-martial rose, an' gave us three times three,
— The Arethusa an' the little bantam bold —
An' the President, says he, " There's no law upon the sea
'Gainst firin' off your silver an' your gold! "
So — here's to the Pretty Hen, an' its pretty fightin' men,
Who don't know broken glass from white an' yellow clink! —
For we turned our pockets out, an' the Captain gave a shout:
" What's the good o' gold an' silver if we sink? "

So we brought the news to England o' the Pretty Speckled Hen,
An' the saucy Arethusa's in the dock;
An' we haven't got a sou to drink to Parley-Voo,
An' we raise an empty glass to our little fightin' Cock.
We raise an empty glass, for we fired off our brass,
An' we give our little Captain three times three;
A good stiff upper lip he kept an' saved his ship,
An' he kept the Law o' Nations on the sea!