Peter Kagan and the Wind

歌詞

Peter Kagan was a lonely man in the summer of his years. But then one day he got tired of being lonely, and he went away, off to the east. And when he came again he had a wife with him. She was strange and all, but she was kind and people liked her. And she was good for Kagan, she kept him company. And winter come to summer they were happy. Kagan had a dory then, he had a lugsail on her. He'd go offshore for three, four days, setting for the fish. And oh, his wife was sad then. She never like to see him go. She'd go down and call to him: Kagan, Kagan, Kagan, Bring the dory home. The wind and sea do follow thee, And all the ledges calling thee. He said that he could hear her singing twenty miles to sea, and when he heard her, he'd come home, if he had fish or none. She was a seal, you know. Everyone knew that, even Kagan, he knew that. But nobody would say it to him. Then, one day, in that year's autumn, Kagan says, "I've got to go now. Go offshore and get some fish." But she says, "No! Don't go away!" She starts crying. "Please don't go. The wind is coming and the snow." Kagan, Kagan, Kagan, Don't go out to sea, The stormy wind and snow do come, And, oh, but I do fear for thee. But Kagan's not afraid of snow, it's early in the year. He puts his oars in and he goes to sea. Kagan sails out on the middle ground. The Wind is west all day and going down, the fish are coming to him. Kagan reads the writing on the water and the sky. He sees the haze up very high above the clouds. He says, "That's alright for autumn, only a change of wind. I'm not afraid of wind." But Kagan reads it wrong this time. The Wind goes away, and then comes back, Southeast. The fog comes 'round him. Kagan says, "I'd better go now. Find that gong buoy off the sunken ledges, then I'll know the best way home." He puts the sail up. He bears away to the Nor'ard for the gong. But, oh, the Wind is watching. The Wind backs around to the East'ard and breezes on. They sail a long time and the sail is pulling very hard. Finally the Wind is so strong, the sail tears out. Kagan takes it in and the dory goes a-drifting. But then he hears the gong buoy. It isn't very far away. Kagan, Kagan, Kagan, Bring the dory home. The wind and sea do follow thee, And all the ledges calling thee. But the dory goes a-drifting. By and by the gong buoy goes away. Kagan says, "Okay." He puts the oars in and starts to row back up for the gong. But, oh, the Wind is watching. The Wind backs around Northeast, and makes the seas confused. The Wind says, "Listen! I have something to tell you." Kagan, rowing, "I don't want to hear it." The Wind humps up mow, makes the sea short, makes it hard for him to row. Finally the seas are so steep, Kagan knows he isn't getting anywhere. He takes the oars in and the dory goes a-drifting now. Kagan says, "Okay. Now I've got something to show you." He takes a slip of wood to make a needle and waxes up a hand line for a thread. He sews the sail up smaller, sews a reef in it. The Wind says, "What're you doing?" Kagan says, "You keeping watching." Kagan puts the sail up now and again he bears away to the Nor'ard for the gong. But, oh, the Wind is watching now. The Wind backs North-North-East. Kagan can't hold his course now. Kagan says, "Okay, then." He brings the boat about. Now he's steering East. The Wind says, "You're heading out to sea." Kagan says, "I'm not afraid of water, I'll come about by-and-by when I can fetch that gong." The Wind says, "I'll veer on you; I'll go East again." Kagan says, "You go ahead and I can hold my course again." The Wind says, "I'll back." Kagan says, "You back too far and you'll have to clear, you know that. I can keep ahead of you." The Wind says, "You may be smarter but I'm stronger, you watch." The Wind gets bigger, blows harder. Finally there's too much wind. The Sail says, "I can't do it!" Kagan says, "I know that. Thank you." He takes the sail in, and the dory goes a-drifting. Kagan takes the sail off the yard. He folds it around him. "Now you keep me warm!" The Wind says, "He can't keep you warm." The Wind snatches off North by East. "I'll freeze you." Kagan says, "I'm not afraid of cold!" But Kagan is afraid. He doesn't know what to do. And oh, the Wind is working now. The Wind brings ice and snow. The Wind blows long and long and black. Kagan says, "I'm dying. Sail, keep me warm!" The sail says, "I can't do it, Peter." Kagan dying, and the wind blows. Kagan, Kagan, Kagan, Turn ye now to me. Turn thy back unto the Wind And all the weary windy sea. Kagan, Kagan, Kagan, Lay ye down to sleep. For I do come to comfort thee All and thy dear body keep. So Kagan lies down in the bottom of the boat, he tries not to be afraid of the dying. And he dreamed of her then, his wife. He dreamed she was coming to him. He heard a great calling down the wind and he lifted his head, and he saw her coming to him. Down the smoking sea she came, and over the rail of the dory she came, and laughing, to his arms. All in the night and the storm they did lay, and the Wind and the Sea went away. And so in the morning they found him, asleep, with a sail wrapped around him. And there was a seal, lying there with him, curled over him like a blanket, and the snow was upon the seal's back.