Laura Smith's Music of the Waters is the earliest print source for this "bowline shanty", though Stan Hugill's sailor source said it was more likely to be used at the capstan or pumps. He says the "melody has a marked resemblance to the German shanty Jub-hei-di, Jub-he-di".
Both Hugill's Norwegian version and translation follow directly from Smith with only a few transcription mistakes. For example, his sömands became sömande the spelling of which evidently relates to sewing. Hoprasa can be translated as "hurry up".