Balladen om briggen Blue Bird av Hull [English translation]

It was Blue Bird of Hull

it was Blue Bird, a brig

that with tied down sails endured

a blizzardy Soten with ice covered mast

on Christmas eve seventy-two

"Tie the Swede to the rudder, he can steer through the storm."

howled the captain: "All right boys, take o'er!"

And Karl Stranne from Smögen

was tied to the rudder

on Blue Bird that was destined to sink.

Saw Hållö's lighthouse afar

but from snowfall and splash

he stood half blind.

Still held the ship steady.

And in lee there was Smögen,

his home where his mother

just received his letter from Middlesbrough.

"Well, what say you, Karl? Will she make it?" "No, captain!

Light the flares, for it ends here.

We have Hållö of starboard, and waves are breaking right ahead."

Lower the anchors, ready the boats!"

But she rode not the waves

and had a few ruptures

which took the boat they had readied

"I believe", said Karl Stranne, "That my father set sail

to greet us, I trust my father!"

"Ready the boats! Ready the boats!" "It is father! It is us!

It's my father from Smögen, ahoy!"

"Ready the boats!", he cried out

everyone, they're here

Jump off, you'll be saved!"

It was Stranne the elder.

A viking, an eagle.

Who on Christmas eve seventy-two

took his pure moonshine

from the corner case

to give the shipwrecked men a drink

"What was the name of the ship?"

he asked, and poured

nine shots into pointy glasses

"The brig Blue Bird."

The tenth glass he took

and smashed it against the floor

"Was that Blue Bird, captain? The brig Blue Bird of Hull?

God in the skies, then where's my son?

Where's the boy, captain, for our savior's sake?"

The men in the corner went dead silent.

The old man Stranne

slowly took off his sou'wester

"Spare his mother, captain, this eve.

Don't mention the brig that was wrecked.

Please, don't mention Blue Bird of Hull."

And the captain stood up

he was pale, he was worn

the storm wailed, one barely heard his words

when he with shivering voice told his host:

"Karl was tied and forgotten on-board."