C'est en passant sur l'pont d'Morlaix,
Ch: Haul away! Old fellow, away!
La belle Hélène, j'ai rencontrée ,
Ch: Haul away! Old fellow, away!
Bien humblement j'l'ai saluée,
D'un doux sourire ell'm'a remercié.
Mais j'ai bien vu qu'c'est charité,
Car c'est une dame de qualité.
C'est la fille d'un cap'taine nantais,
Un matelot ne s'ra jamais.
Pour nouse sont kles garces des quais
Qui vol'nt, qui mentent, qui font tuer!
J'n'étale plus, j'vas tout larguer,
J'vas faire mon trou dans la salée.
Mat'lots, mon coeur est embrumé,
Buvons quand même a sa beauté.
Encore un coup pour étarquer,
Hisse le grand foc! Tout est payé!
Original French
When I was crossing the bridge of Morlaix,
Ch: Haul away! Old fellow, away!
I met Helen looking so gay,
Ch: Haul away! Old fellow, away!
With me hat in me hand I said, "How d'ya do?"
She gave me a smile that said, "Thank you!"
Her smile I could see was merely charity,
'Cos she was a lardy of quality.
The daughter, me lads, of a Nantes captain,
She'll never belong to a simple sailor.
For us the trollops who hang round the quay,
Who lie an' steal, get men killed with glee.
No longer I'll stick it, cast off everything,
I'm going to ship deepwater.
Shipmates, me heart is wrapped in a fog,
Let's drink, all the same, to her beauty in grog.
One more pull lads, oh, haul her away,
Hoist taut the big jib - high enough, belay!
English translation