The dangers of the crossing of the Ocean on the cheap ‘coffin ships’ are also vividly documented in many songs, as in the following extracts, where typhus is illustrated
Come, all ye sons of Paddy's land and listen unto me
'Til I relate of the hardships great a-crossing over the sea
For the want of bread ten thousands fled so far across the foam
And left the land where they were born called Erin's lovely home
Black forty-seven I'll never forget when the fever, it stalked the land
And the famine without mercy, it stretched forth its dreadful hand
There's many's the child in cold death lay, their parents, they did mourn
While the landlord's agents pulled down our roofs in Erin's lovely home
My father was a farming man reared to industry
He had two sons, they were men strong, and lovely daughters three
Our farm was too small to feed us all, so some of us had to roam
With sisters two I bid adieu to Erin's lovely home
My father sold the second cow, he borrowed twenty pounds
And in the merry month of May we sailed from Sligo town
There were thousands more left upon the shore, all anxious for to roam
And leave the land where they were born called Erin's lovely home
We were scarcely seven days at sea when the fever, it plagued our crew
They were falling like the autumn leaves bidding friends and life adieu
Now the raging waves sweep o'er their graves amidst the ocean foam
Their friends may mourn, but they'll never return to Erin's lovely home
My loving sisters, they both took ill, their lives, they were taken away
And oh it grieves my heart full sore to cast them in the sea
Down in the deep now they do sleep, they never more will roam
In heaven I'll meet with my sisters sweet from Erin's lovely home
I'm in the land of liberty where plenty, it does abound
Where the laboring man gets full reward for the tilling of his ground
There's naught I can see that can comfort me, as an exile I must roam
And end my days far, far away from Erin's lovely home
'Til I relate of the hardships great a-crossing over the sea
For the want of bread ten thousands fled so far across the foam
And left the land where they were born called Erin's lovely home
Black forty-seven I'll never forget when the fever, it stalked the land
And the famine without mercy, it stretched forth its dreadful hand
There's many's the child in cold death lay, their parents, they did mourn
While the landlord's agents pulled down our roofs in Erin's lovely home
My father was a farming man reared to industry
He had two sons, they were men strong, and lovely daughters three
Our farm was too small to feed us all, so some of us had to roam
With sisters two I bid adieu to Erin's lovely home
My father sold the second cow, he borrowed twenty pounds
And in the merry month of May we sailed from Sligo town
There were thousands more left upon the shore, all anxious for to roam
And leave the land where they were born called Erin's lovely home
We were scarcely seven days at sea when the fever, it plagued our crew
They were falling like the autumn leaves bidding friends and life adieu
Now the raging waves sweep o'er their graves amidst the ocean foam
Their friends may mourn, but they'll never return to Erin's lovely home
My loving sisters, they both took ill, their lives, they were taken away
And oh it grieves my heart full sore to cast them in the sea
Down in the deep now they do sleep, they never more will roam
In heaven I'll meet with my sisters sweet from Erin's lovely home
I'm in the land of liberty where plenty, it does abound
Where the laboring man gets full reward for the tilling of his ground
There's naught I can see that can comfort me, as an exile I must roam
And end my days far, far away from Erin's lovely home
inviata da dq82 - 11/11/2015 - 13:41
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