Library:The Voyage

The Voyage
Author	Bobby Sands
Type	Poem

Poem

It was 1803 when we sailed out to sea

And away from the sweet town of Derry

For Australia bound and if we didn’t drown

The mark of the fetter we’d carry.

Our ship was The Gull, fourteen days out of Hull

And on orders to carry the croppy

Like a ghost in the night she sailed out of sight

Leaving many a wee’an unhappy.

In our rusty iron chains well we sighed for our wee’ans

And our good wives we’d left in our sorrow

And the main sails unfurled our curses we hurled

At the English and the thought of tomorrow.

At the mouth of the Foyle we bade farewell to our soil

And the sea turned as blue as the heavens.

The breeze filled our sails of a yellowish pale

And the captain lay drunk in his cabin.

The Gull cut the sea carving our destiny

And the sea spray rose white and came flying.

O’Docherty screamed, awoken out of his dreams

By a vision of bold Robert dying.

The sun burnt us cruel as they dished out the gruel

And Dan O’Connor lay dying with fever.

Sixty rebels today, bound for Botany Bay,

God, how many would reach the receiver.

I cursed them to hell as our bows fought the swell

And we danced like a moth in the firelight.

White horses rode by as the devil passed by

Taking ten souls to Hades in the twilight.

Five weeks out to sea we were now forty-three

And the strongest wept bitter like children.

Jesus, we screeched and our God we beseeched

But all we got was a prayer from a pilgrim.

In our own smelling slime we were lost in time

Hoping God in his mercy would claim us.

But our spirits shone high like stars in the sky

We were rebels and no man would tame us.

We were all about lost, two round score was our cost

When the man on the mast shouted, “Land hoe!”

The crew gave a cheer as we cradled our fear

And the fathoms gave up and we swam low.

Van Diemen’s land a hell for a man

Who would live out his whole life in slavery,

Where the climate was raw and the gun made the law

And neither wind or the rain cared for bravery.

Twenty long years have gone and I’ve ended my bond

And my comrades’ ghosts walk behind me.

A rebel I came and I died just the same

It’s on the cold wind at night that you’ll find me.

Song by Christy Moore

In 1803 we sailed out to sea

Out from the sweet town of Derry

For Australia bound if we didn’t all drown

And the marks of our fetters we carried.

In the rusty iron chains we sighed for our wains

As our good wives we left in sorrow.

As the mainsails unfurled our curses we hurled

On the English and thoughts of tomorrow.

Chorus:

Oh Oh Oh Oh I wish I was back home in Derry.

Oh Oh Oh Oh I wish I was back home in Derry.

I cursed them to hell as our bow fought the swell.

Our ship danced like a moth in the firelights.

White horses rode high as the devil passed by

Taking souls to Hades by twilight.

Five weeks out to sea we were now forty-three

Our comrades we buried each morning.

In our own slime we were lost in a time.

Endless night without dawning.

Chorus

Van Dieman’s land is a hell for a man

To live out his life in slavery.

When the climate is raw and the gun makes the law.

Neither wind nor rain cares for bravery.

Twenty years have gone by and I’ve ended me bond

And comrades’ ghosts are behind me.

A rebel I came and I’ll die the same.

On the cold winds of night you will find me.