King Christian stood beside the mast;
Smoke, mixt with flame,
Hung oer his guns, that rattled fast
Against the Gothmen, as they passd:
Then sunk each hostile sail and mast
In smoke and flame.
Fly! said the foe: fly! all that can,
Nor wage, with Denmarks Christian,
The dread, unequal game.
Niels Juul lookd out, and loudly cried,
Quick! nows the time:
He hoisted up his banner wide,
And fore and aft his foemen plied;
And loud above the battle cried,
Quick! nows the time.
Fly! said the foe, t is Fortunes rule,
To deck the head of Denmarks Juul
With Glorys wreath sublime.
Once, Baltic, when the muskets knell
Rang through the sky,
Down to thy bosom heroes fell
And gaspd amid the stormy swell;
While, from the shore, a piercing yell
Rang through the sky!
God aids me, cried our Tordenskiold;
Proud foes, ye are but vainly bold;
Strike, strike, to me, or fly!
Thou Danish path to fame and might,
Dark-rolling wave,
Receive a friend who holds as light
The perils of the stormy fight;
Who braves, like thee, the tempests might;
Dark rolling wave,
O swiftly bear my bark along,
Till, crownd with conquest, lulld with song,
I reach my bournethe grave.