CZTERY REFY - Sto lat temu

Sto lat temu

Polish words: Dariusz Matuszak
Music traditional: "A Hundred Years Ago"

Ruszylismy juz z Milford Bay - Razem, ho!
Bo forsa nam skonczyla sie. - Haul away, Joe!

A bosman ryknal, niech go szlag.
"Roboty tu nie braknie wam."

"W gore reje! Razem, hej!"
"Ciagniemy zywo, Mister Mate!"

A kazdy slyszal tylko to:
"I jeszcze raz, i obloz ja!"

Wracamy juz do Bristol Town,
Gdzie pelno dziewczat - mowie wam!

Nasz dzielny ship przez Kanal tnie,
A port juz z mgly wylania sie.

W Bristol Town bedziemy wnet.
Panny pieknie wystroja sie.

"Sto lat temu" ("A Hundred Years Ago") - a halyard shanty sung in different ways by different crews. The rhythm could, and would be varied to suit the nature of the work that was being carried out. The verses depended on the creativity of the shantyman. The biggest problem for the author of the Polish translation was the title, as the first verse - "A hundred years is a mighty long time, a hundred years was before my time" is not translated at all.