The dark-eyed sailor (Volkslieder (Folksongs), set by R. Vaughan Williams) (The Lied and Art Song Texts Page: Texts and Translations to Lieder, mélodies, canzoni, and other classical vocal music)


 It was a comely young lady fair,
 Was walking out for to take the air;
 She met a sailor all on her way,
 So I paid attention to what they did say.

 Said William, "Lady, why walk alone?
 The night is coming and the day near gone."
 She said, while tears from her eyes did fall,
 "It's a dark-eyed sailor that's proving my downfall.

 "It's two long years since he left the land;
 He took a gold ring from off my hand,
 We broke the token, here's part with me,
 And the other lies rolling at the bottom of the sea."

 Then half the ring did young William show,
 She was distracted midst joy and woe.
 "O welcome, William, I've lands and gold
 For my dark-eyed sailor so manly, true and bold."

 Then in a village down by the sea,
 They joined in wedlock and well agree.
 So maids be true while your love's away,
 For a cloudy morning brings forth a shining day.

Authorship

Volkslieder (Folksongs)

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)

Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)

Four English Folk Songs

Added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.

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