English translation

Oh, a ship will be built in the northland. O Albertina shall be that good ship's name; Ch: Pump her dry! Albertina let it be then; Albertina, there's no danger; O, Albertina shall be that good ship's name - pump her dry! Ch: (Repeat last two lines of each verse as full chorus) Oh, that ship she is already loaded, She is loaded up with good Bavarian beer, She is loaded, let it be then, she is loaded, there's no danger, She is loaded up with good Bavarian beer - pump her dry! But on the shore stood Ingrid and she's weeping, Yes, weeping for her own and dearest friend, She is weeping, let it be then, she is weeping, now we're sailing, She is weeping for her own and dearest friend - pump her dry! The grave of every sailor's dug already, His grave lies in the billows, oh, so blue, Graves are ready, let it be then, graves are ready, now we're sailing, The graves are lying in the billows, oh, so blue - pump her dry! And my epitaph it is already written, It's written in the finest Latin script, It is written, let it be then, it is written, now we're sailing, It is written in the finest Latin script - pump her dry!

Stan Hugill describes this song as popular among all Scandinavian sailors. Although he provides the Swedish version, it is of Norwegian origin, and it survived until as late as the 1930s aboard Finnish sailing ships. He mentions a Prof. John Glyn Davies, the Welsh scholar, contended that the tune is German.

According to Hugill’s source, Captain Sternvall, it was typical for the shantyman to imitate a Norwegian dialect when singing it.

Swedish composer Evert Taube recorded the song in the early 20th century, evidently accompanying himself with a Levin lute.