The perils and the dangers of the voyage being past,
And the ship at Portsmouth arrived at last,
The sails all furled, and the anchor cast,
The happiest of the crew was Jack Robinson.
For his Poll he had trinkets and gold galore,
Besides prize money quite a store,
And along with the crew he went ashore,
As coxswain to the boat, Jack Robinson.

He met with a man and said, " I say,
Perhaps you know one Polly Gray?
She lives somewhere hereabout;" the man said, " Nay,
I do not, indeed," to Jack Robinson.
So says Jack to him, " I have left my ship,
And all my messmates, they gave me the slip,
Mayhap you'll partake of a good can of flip?
For you're a good sort of fellow," says Jack Robinson.

In a public house then they both sat down,
And talked of admirals of high renown,
And drank as much grog as came to half a crown,
This here strange man, and Jack Robinson.
Then Jack called out the reckoning to pay,
The landlady came in, in fine array.
" My eyes and limbs, why here's Polly Gray!
Who'd have thought of meeting here?" says Jack Robinson.

The landlady staggered against the wall,
And said, at first, she didn't know him at all.
" Shiver me," says Jack, " why here's a pretty squall,
Damn me, don't you know me? I'm Jack Robinson!
Don't you remember this handkerchief you giv'd me?
'Twas three years ago, before I went to sea,
Every day I've looked at it, and then I thought of thee,
Upon my soul, I have," says Jack Robinson.

Says the lady, says she, " I have changed my state."
" Why, you don't mean," says Jack, " that you've got a mate?
You know you promised — " Says she, " I could not wait,
For no tidings could I gain of you, Jack Robinson;
And somebody, some day, come up to me and said
That somebody else, had somewhere read
In some newspaper, as how you were dead."
" I've not been dead at all," says Jack Robinson.

Then he turned his quid, and finished his glass,
Hitched up his trousers, " Alas, alas,
That ever I should live to be made such an ass!
To be bilked by a woman!" says Jack Robinson.
" But to fret and to stew about it's all in vain,
I'll get a ship and go to Holland, France and Spain,
No matter where, to Portsmouth I'll never come again."
And he was off before you could say Jack Robinson.