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<div style="background:#fff;border:#bbb dashed 1px;padding:5px"><a href="http://en.citatepedia.ro/comments.php?id=344081" style="color:#000;text-decoration:none"><div style="margin:10px 0"><strong>The Ballad of the Calliope</strong></div><div style="margin:10px 0">By the far Samoan shore, <br>Where the league-long rollers pour <br>All the wash of the Pacific on the coral-guarded bay, <br>Riding lightly at their ease, <br>In the calm of tropic seas, <br>The three great nations' warships at their anchors proudly lay. <br>Riding lightly, head to wind, <br>With the coral reefs behind, <br>Three German and three Yankee ships were mirrored in the blue; <br>And on one ship unfurled <br>Was the flag that rules the world -- <br>For on the old Calliope the flag of England flew. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">When the gentle off-shore breeze, <br>That had scarcely stirred the trees, <br>Dropped down to utter stillness, and the glass began to fall, <br>Away across the main <br>Lowered the coming hurricane, <br>And far away to seaward hung the cloud-wrack like a pall. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">If the word had passed around, <br>&quot;Let us move to safer ground; <br>Let us steam away to seaward&quot; -- then his tale were not to tell! <br>But each Captain seemed to say <br>&quot;If the others stay, I stay!&quot; <br>And they lingered at their moorings till the shades of evening fell. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Then the cloud-wrack neared them fast, <br>And there came a sudden blast, <br>And the hurricane came leaping down a thousand miles of main! <br>Like a lion on its prey, <br>Leapt the storm fiend on the bay, <br>And the vessels shook and shivered as their cables felt the strain. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">As the surging seas came by, <br>That were running mountains high, <br>The vessels started dragging, drifting slowly to the lee; <br>And the darkness of the night <br>Hid the coral reefs from sight, <br>And the Captains dared not risk the chance to grope their way to sea. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">In the dark they dared not shift! <br>They were forced to wait and drift; <br>All hands stood by uncertain would the anchors hold or no. <br>But the men on deck could see, <br>If a chance for them might be, <br>There was little chance of safety for the men who were below. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Through that long, long night of dread, <br>While the storm raged overhead, <br>They were waiting by their engines, with the furnace fires aroar; <br>So they waited, staunch and true, <br>Though they knew, and well they knew, <br>They must drown like rats imprisoned if the vessel touched the shore. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">When the grey dawn broke at last, <br>And the long, long night was past, <br>While the hurricane redoubled, lest its prey should steal away, <br>On the rocks, all smashed and strown, <br>Were the German vessels thrown, <br>While the Yankees, swamped and helpless, drifted shorewards down the bay. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Then at last spoke Captain Kane, <br>&quot;All our anchors are in vain, <br>And the Germans and the Yankees they have drifted to the lee! <br>Cut the cables at the bow! <br>We must trust the engines now! <br>Give her steam, and let her have it, lads! we'll fight her out to sea!&quot; </div><div style="margin:10px 0">And the answer came with cheers <br>From the stalwart engineers, <br>From the grim and grimy firemen at the furnaces below; <br>And above the sullen roar <br>Of the breakers on the shore <br>Came the throbbing of the engines as they laboured to and fro. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">If the strain should find a flaw, <br>Should a bolt or rivet draw, <br>Then -- God help them! for the vessel were a plaything in the tide! <br>With a face of honest cheer <br>Quoth an English engineer, <br>&quot;I will answer for the engiines that were built on old Thames-side! </div><div style="margin:10px 0">&quot;For the stays and stanchions taut, <br>For the rivets truly wrought, <br>For the valves that fit their faces as a glove should fit the hand. <br>Give her every ounce of power; <br>If we make a knot an hour <br>Then it's way enough to steer her, and we'll drive her from the land.&quot; </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Life a foam-flake tossed and thrown, <br>She could barely hold her own, <br>While the other ships all helplessly were drifting to the lee. <br>Through the smother and the rout <br>The Calliope steamed out -- <br>And they cheered her from the Trenton that was foundering in the sea. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Ay! drifting shoreward there, <br>All helpless as they were, <br>Their vessel hurled upon the reefs as weed ashore is hurled, <br>Without a thought of fear <br>The Yankees raised a cheer -- <br>A cheer that English-speaking folk should echo round the world.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br /></a><br />poem by <a href="http://en.citatepedia.ro/by.php?a=Andrew+Barton+Paterson">Andrew Barton Paterson</a><div class=q>
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<script type="text/javascript" src="//s7.addthis.com/js/300/addthis_widget.js#pubid=citatepedia" async="async"></script><div style="display:inline-block" class="addthis_sharing_toolbox" data-url="http://en.citatepedia.ro/comments.php?id=344081" data-title="The Ballad of the Calliope de Andrew Barton Paterson" data-description="By the far Samoan shore, 
Where the league-long rollers pour 
All the wash of the Pacific on the coral-guarded bay, 
Riding lightly at their ease, 
In the calm of tropic seas, 
The three great nations' warships at their anchors proudly lay. 
Ridin..."></div>
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