Music Of The Waters - online book

Sailors' Chanties, Songs Of The Sea, Boatmen's, Fishermen's,
Rowing Songs, & Water Legends with lyrics & sheet music

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Music of the Waters.                 301
says, " They represent the white and shining surf, whose harmonious murmurs and seductive brightness allures, but destroys the mariner who attempts to land."
" Sometimes upon the diamond rocks they leant, Sometimes they sat upon the flowery lea That sloped toward the wave, and ever sent Shrill music o'er the sea.
" One piped, one sang, one swept the golden lyre, And thus to forge and ring a threefold chain Of linked harmony, the three conspire, O'er land and hoary main/'
The following is a specimen of the Indian rowing-songs used on the " Rio Negro " in South America :—
The following song is a sort of labour-song or chant of the Madras boatmen. The grain-ships are unloaded at Madras, and the cargo taken by Musulah boats; these are pushed through the surf, and it is then that this song or chant may be heard; when they near the ship again, the surf being deeper and more force being required, they break into the Ya-Allah, Ya-Allah, Ya-Allah, in sharp, almost spasmodic tones, and continue till they are through it.