Poem by Henry Newbolt

The Fighting Téméraire

It was eight bells ringing,
  For the morning watch was done,
And the gunner's lads were singing
  As they polished every gun.
It was eight bells ringing,
And the gunner's lads were singing,
For the ship she rode a-swinging,
  As they polished every gun.

    Oh! to see the linstock lighting,
      Téméraire! Téméraire!
    Oh! to hear the round shot biting,
      Téméraire! Téméraire!

    Oh! to see the linstock lighting,
      And to hear the round shot biting,
    For we're all in love with fighting
      On the fighting Téméraire.

It was noontide ringing,
  And the battle just begun,
When the ship her way was winging,
  As they loaded every gun.
It was noontide ringing,
When the ship her way was winging,
And the gunner's lads were singing
  As they loaded every gun.

    There'll be many grim and gory,
      Téméraire! Téméraire!
    There'll be few to tell the story,
      Téméraire! Téméraire!

    There'll be many grim and gory,
      There'll be few to tell the story,
    But we'll all be one in glory
      With the Fighting Téméraire.

There's a far bell ringing
  At the setting of the sun,
And a phantom voice is singing
  Of the great days done.
There's a far bell ringing,
And a phantom voice is singing
Of renown for ever clinging
  To the great days done.

    Now the sunset breezes shiver,
      Téméraire! Téméraire!
    And she's fading down the river,
      Téméraire! Téméraire!

    Now the sunset's breezes shiver,
      And she's fading down the river,
    But in England's song for ever
      She's the Fighting Téméraire.

1. San Stefano
2. The Quarter-Gunner's Yarn
3. Waggon Hill
4. From Generation to Generation
5. Hawke

Print

1345 Views

Last Poems

To Russian version