Irish traditional song lyrics — collected by Beer Belly Band.
Farewell to Tarwathie, adieu Mormond Hill
And the dear land of Crimmond I’ll bid you farewell
We’re bound now for Greenland, get ready to sail
In hopes to find riches in hunting the whale
Adieu to my comrades, for awhile must we part
And likewise my dear lass that fair won my heart
The cold ice of Greenland my love will not chill
And the longer our absence more loving we’ll feel
Our ship it is well rigged she ready to sail
Our crew they are anxious to follow the whale
Where the iceberg do float and the stormy winds blow
And the land and the ocean are covered with snow
Oh the cold coast of Greenland is barren and bare
No seed time or harvest are ever known there
The birds there sing sweetly o’er the mountain and dale
But there is na’ a birdie to sing to the whale
There is no habitation for a man to live there
And the king of that country is the fierce Greenland bear
And there’ll be no temptation to tarry long there
Wi’ our ship bumper full we will homeward repair