A Sea Symphony: I. A Song for All Seas, All Ships (Moderato maestoso)

Behold, the sea itself,

and on its limitless heaving breast, the ships.

See where their white sails, bellying in the wind

speckle the green and blue.

See the steamers

coming and going,

steaming in or out of port.

See,

dusky and undulating.

See the long pennants of smoke.

Behold, the sea itself,

and on its limitless heaving breast,

the ships.

Today a rude, brief recitative

of ships sailing the seas,

each with its special flag or ship-signal,

of unnamed heroes in the ships,

of waves spreading far as the eye can reach,

of dashing spray and the winds piping and blowing,

Today a rude, brief recitative

of ships sailing the seas,

each with its special flag or ship-signal,

of unnamed heroes in the ships,

of waves spreading far as the eye can reach,

of dashing spray and the winds piping and blowing,

And out of these a chant for all sailors

of all nations.

Fitful, like a surge.

Of sea captains young or old,

and the mates,

and of all intrepid sailors

Of the few, very choice, taciturn

Whom fate can never surprise nor death display

Picked sparingly,

without noise,

by thee old ocean, chosen by thee,

Thou sea that pickest and cullest the race in time

and unitest the nations

Suckled by thee, old husky nurse,

embodying thee, indomitable,

untamed as thee

Flaunt out O sea, your separate flags of nations!

Flaunt out visible as ever, the various flags and ship-signals!

But do you reserve especially for yourself and for the soul of man

one flag above all the rest,

A spiritual woven signal for all nations,

emblem of man elate about death,

token of all brave captains and all intrepid sailors and mates, and all that went down doing their duty, remeniscent of them, twined from all intrepid captians