When Norway Would Not Help

When Kattegat now or the Belt you sail, No more will you sight The Danish proud frigate, no more will you hail The red and white; No more will the ringing command be heard In Wessel's tongue, No rollicking music, no jocund word, 'Neath Dannebrog sung. No dance will you see, no laughter meet, As the white sails shine, From mast and from stern no garland you greet, Of arts the sign. But all that we owned of the treasures on board The deeps now hold; One sad winter night to the sea-waves were poured Our memories old. It was that same night, when the frigate nigh To Norway's land Distress-guns was firing, the surf running high With sea-weed and sand. To help from the harbor men put out boats, But they turn back,… The frigate toward Germany drifting floats, A broken wrack! What once had been ours overboard was strown, Each kinship mark Was quickly removed, to the sea it was thrown With curses stark! The Northern lion, that figure-head gray, Now had to fall, In pieces 'twas hewn, and the frigate lay Like a shattered wall. … Repaired and refitted, its canvas it spread Near Germany's coast, With black-yellow flag and an eagle dread In the lion's post. When sailing we Kattegat sweep with our eyes, 'T is still evermore. But a German admiral's frigate lies Near Scania's shore.