Calm at sea! The sun is throwing
Great long beams upon the water,
And the ship ploughs through the furrows,
Through a sea of tossing jewels.

And the bosun on his belly
Softly snores beside the tiller;
While a shrinking, tar-smeared ship's boy
Patches sail beside the foremast.

Underneath the dirt, his cheeks are
Reddening slowly; fear or sorrow
Makes his broad mouth twitch and tremble
And his large, deep eyes are troubled.

For the Captain stands before him,
Storms and swears and scolds him: "Rascal!
Rascal! You've been at the barrel.
Rascal! You have stolen a herring!"

But a sea-gull, from high spaces,
Shoots down on the giddy spratling;
And, her prey held in her talons,
Back into the blue she circles.