CZTERY REFY - Lsniaca fregata

Lsniaca fregata

Polish words: Janusz Sikorski
Music traditional: "The Flash Frigate"

To byla fregata, z tych fregat, co lsnia,
Hej, szlismy do Indii, "La Pique", zwali ja.
Uzylismy lepiej niz u hycla psy.
Cholerna harowa od switu po swit.

Derry down, down, down derry, down. O czwartej nad ranem zaczynal sie bal,
Lac na poklad sto wiader, a potem znow lac.
A oficer juz wrzeszczal i lzyl nas, i klal:
"Brac piach i na kolana tam, do swietych ksiag!"

Derry down, down, down derry, down. No, a bosman, chlopaki, ech, kazdy go znal.
Gdy wchodzil na poklad byl dumny jak paw.
By zawisl na rei - niech Bog sile da,
On handszpakiem od pompy co dzien liczyl nas.

Derry down, down, down derry, down. A znow z prymka tabaki tez, chlopcy, jest zle.
Gdy spluniesz na poklad, zasluzyles na smierc.
Kiedy spluniesz przed dziob, ponad reling - to wiedz,
Trzydziesci szesc batow dostaniesz na grzbiet.

Derry down, down, down derry, down. Ech, bracie zeglarzu, gdziekolwiek bys byl,
Z dala trzymaj sie, chlopie, od fregaty "La Pique".
Za twoj trud pensa pol, a uzyjesz jak pies
I powrocisz polzywy na rodzinny swoj brzeg.

"Lsniaca fregata" (The Flash Frigate") - in the archives of Royal Navy there are three vessels named "Pique". This song probably concerns one of them, a 36 gun vessel, which entered the fleet in 1834. It was first sung as a forecastle ballad and then, with a changed rhythm, also as a capstan shanty. There are many text variants and several different melody lines, e.g. "The Liverpool Packet", "The Flash Frigate" and "Don Pedro". Some of them even have around 40 verses.