a girl upon the shore did ask a favour of the sea return my blue eyed sailor boy safely back to me forgive me if i ask too much i will not ask for more but i shall weep until he sleeps safe upon the shore as though the sea did hear her plea a vision did appear the drifting tip of some wrecked ship came floating ever near a figure there did cling to it approaching more and more as if to ride on some strange tide safe upon the shore so give a sailor not your heart lest sorrow you do seek let true love not be torn apart by favours from the sea my love she cried as she espied the figure on the spar his clean white shirt was drenched and torn he must have floated far she thought with bliss how she would kiss the lips she did adore and oh how sweet to see his feet safe upon the shore so give a sailor not your heart lest sorrow you do seek let true love not be torn apart by favours from the sea as she drew near she felt the fear that something was astray his mouth was slack and his blue eyes stared blindly at the day and in a daze she turned her gaze from the corpse the driftwood bore and the cold cold sea pushed ruthlessly safe upon the shore so give a sailor not your heart lest sorrow you do seek let true love not be torn apart by favours from the sea now fishermen they cast their nets like miners pan for gold and sailors push off from the docks and pray the gales will hold the sea just sits silently but sometimes she does more and someone weeps as her love sleeps safe upon the shore