CZTERY REFY - The Eddystone Light

The Eddystone Light

Words traditional
Music traditional: "The Eddystone Light"

Me father was the keeper of the Eddystone Light,
He married a mermaid one fine night,
And from this union there came three,
Two little fishes and the other was me.

One night as I was trimming the glim,
And singing a verse from the evening hymn,
A voice from starboard shouted "Ahoy!"
And there was me mother sitting on a buoy.

With a yo, ho, ho, let the wind blow free ... "Oh, what became of me children three?"
Me mother then she asked of me.
"Oh, one was exhibited as a talking fish,
The other was served as a 'savoury dish."

With a yo, ho, ho, let the wind blow free ... Well the phosperous flashed in her seaweed hair,
I looked again and me mother wasn't there,
But a voice came echoing out of the night:
"To hell, with the keeper of the Eddystone Light!"

With a yo, ho, ho, let the wind blow free ...

"The Eddystone Light" - One of the most famous lighthouses throughout the world built on the rocks in the open sea not far from Plymouth. Considering harsh surroundings, shallows, big leaps of tide and frequent gales it’s existence was essential for the safety of sailing. The early wooden constructions proved not to be resistant to the difficult conditions and were in turn destroyed by either storms or fires and rebuilt. This song tells a fairy story about the reasons of a burning of the lighthouse. Finally in 1756 John Smeaton began building the first lighthouse on the English coast made of stone. On the rocks in the open sea, not far from Plymouth there was a lighthouse whose impact on the safe navigation between the islands of the South coast of England was essential. Rocks, shallows, big leaps of tide, frequent gales made sailing conditions very difficult. Early lighthouses of wooden construction were irreparably damaged or burned. In 1756 John Smeaton began building the first lighthouse on the English coast made of stone, completing it three years later.

"Latarnia Eddystone" is a Polish version of this song.