The Seaman’s Grave

The moon rode high
In the cloudless sky
The ship o'er the billows rolled
When silent and slow
We bore from below
The corpse of our shipmate bold

On the gratings placed
In his hammock laced
And the ants imploding o'er him
We thought of his worth
But no words found birth
To tell of the love we bore him

And we weighted him well
With shot and shell
That far beneath the wave
His sleep might be secure and free
In the deep deep coral cave

A while we stood in a musing mood
Then lowered him o'er the side
And we wistfully took a parting look
As he sank on the dark blue tide

Some bubbles arose
From his place of repose
And as quickly forever fled
We gave but one tear
And that was sincere
One sigh for the honoured dead

But the seabirds' wail
And the stormy gale
And the roar of the ocean wave
Sung deep and long
The funeral song
For the seaman's traceless grave