CHANDOS

CHAN 3119 BOOK.qxd 20/9/06 12:00 pm Page 94like dragons watching over their gold.GirlsHey! Sailors, you’re welcome to food and to wine.Surely you’re thirsty and will not decline!SailorsThey won’t sing songs or drink a jar;their lightless decks are black as tar.GirlsThough you have no sweetheart to keep you awayif you come and dance you may find one today!SailorsTheir hair is grey, their cheeks are wan,and all their sweethearts dead and gone!Girls (calling ever louder and more anxiously)Hey! Sailors! Sailors! Come ashore!We’ll eat, drink and sing then drink some more!AllSailors! Sailors!Come ashore! Come ashore!(Long silence.)Girls (astonished and afraid)Most likely, yes! They must be dead!They have no need of wine or bread.Sailors (with increasing high spirits)You’ve heard of the Flying Dutchman’s crew;That must be their ship and its company too!Girls (as before)For God’s sake, leave the men to rest;we would not welcome phantom guests!SailorsFor how many years have you been under sail?Immune to the dangers of shipwreck and gale?GirlsThey won’t sing songs or drink a jar,their lightless decks are black as tar.SailorsIf you have a letter for someone on land,we will see that it reaches great grandfather’s hand!GirlsTheir hair is grey, their cheeks are wan,and all their sweethearts dead and gone!Sailors (noisily)Hey! Sailors, hoist all of your canvas on high,let’s see how the mythical Dutchman can fly!Girls (moving fearfully away from theDutchman’s ship)They don’t respond! Fear makes us shake!We’ve called enough for Heaven’s sake!SailorsThen let them drink a toast with death!You drink with us who still draw breath!Girls (handing their baskets to the sailors overthe side of the ship)All yours! Your neighbours still refuse!Steersman and SailorsWhat! Won’t you come and join the fun?GirlsNot right away! We may later on!Don’t wait for us. Start on the booze!Dance if you want to, you know best,just don’t disturb your neighbours’ rest!Let them rest!(They leave.)Sailors (emptying the baskets)Juch hey! The wine is flowing!Good neighbours, thanks to you!SteersmanWe’ll really get the party going!Now each man has enough for two!SailorsHallohohoho!Dear friends, there’s time to change your mind;speak up, and come and share the wine!(From now on, there is movement on theDutchman’s ship.)Show a leg! Show a leg!Come! Join us here!(They drink and clank their mugs.)Hussa!Steersman, leave your watch!Steersman, join your friends!Ho! Hey! Hey! Ha!Haul the canvas in! Anchor fast!Steersman, hey!Often in the savage tempest’s roarwe have had to drink the salty brine;then we dream of nights upon the shore,kisses from a lass and good Madeira wine!Hussassahey! Shipwreck and stormYololohay! Treat them with scorn!Hussassahey! Furl the sails! Anchor fast!Rock and storm, laugh them to scorn!Steersman! Leave your watch!Steersman, join your friends!Ho, hey, hey! Ha!Steersman, come!Drink with us!Ho! Hey! Hey! Ha! Ho!Come and drink with us!(The sea, whilst remaining calm everywhere else,begins to seethe around the Dutchman’s ship; adarkblue flame flares up as a watch fire. A fierce stormwind blows through the rigging; the crew, who hadpreviously been unseen, seem to be raised to life bythe light of the flame.)Dutchman’s CrewYo ho hoey! Yo ho hoey! Hoey! Hoey! Hoey!Huissa! Let the storm drive us home.Huissa! Reef the sails, anchor down!Huissa! Hurry into the bay!Sombre captain, scour the landnow that seven years have passed.Seek a blonde-haired maiden’s hand,who’ll be yours and yours alone!Hey for the bride! Hey for the groom!9495