Allan Cunningham

The Pirate’s Song

O lady, come to the Indies with me, 
And reign and rule on the sunny sea; 
My ship’s a palace, my deck’s a throne, 
And all shall be thine the sun shines on. 

A gallant ship, and a boundless sea, 
A piping wind and the foe on our lee, 
My pennon streaming so gay from the mast, 
My cannon flashing all bright and fast.

The Bourbon lilies wax wan as I sail; 
America’s stars I strike them pale: 
The glories of sea and the grandeur of land, 
All shall be thine for the wave of thy hand. 

Thy shining locks are worth Java’s isle – 
Can the spices of Saba buy thy smile? 
Let kings rule earth by a right divine, 
Thou shalt be queen of the fathomless brine.