Johann Clemens Todes (1736-1806), First Verse of concluding song of the play 'Søofficererne' (1782)

 

Vi Søemænd giør ei mange Ord,

Ei hykle eller prale.

Om hvad der i vort Hierte boer,

Bøt Daad, ei Munden Tale.

For sledske Kys og Favnetag,

Vi altid tar os vare:

Thi under dette falske Flag

De største Skielmer fare.

 

Men of few words we sailors are,

We do not boast or feign.

Of what one’s heart moves should a tar

Let deeds speak, speech is vain.

’Gainst smarmy kiss or vile embrace

We’re always on our guard:

For under this false flag apace

The worst rogues fly and dart.

 

Tar: A familiar name for a British seaman. Tar is the shortened version of tarpaulin, the tarred canvas which seamen, and especially topmen, used to wear as protection against the weather during the days of sail. Also, when pigtails were the fashionable hairstyle afloat, seamen always dressed theirs with tar.

Why quote something from the end of an unknown play by an obscure writer? Because the song is sung to a tune possibly composed by André Grétry, probably a popular song based on a French waltz, that became extremely popular.

So much so that when a Dane wished for a song to be sung on some special occasion, he would write the song personally, have it be distributed to those assembled and set it to a well-loved tune - a tradition that still lives on at, for example, weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, etc.

Grétry's tune was also used for poems by famous writers. Grundtvig, for example, used this tune for 'Er lyset for de lærde blot', and so did Hans Christian Andersen, for his 'Wedding Song for Miss Pauline Brøndum and Mr. Nicolai Ørsted, 2 September 1863', which is the next entry on the blogspot.