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Like watermen who look astern while they row the boat ahead.
Like watermen who look astern while they row the boat ahead.
Like the watermen who advance forward while they look backward.
Like the watermen who advance forward while they look backward.
 Oh, swiftly glides the bonnie boat.
 Just parted from the shore,
  And to the fisher's chorus-note,
 read more 
 Oh, swiftly glides the bonnie boat.
 Just parted from the shore,
  And to the fisher's chorus-note,
   Soft moves the dipping oar! 
 The barge she sat in, like a burnished throne,
 Burned on the water: the poop was beaten gold;
 read more 
 The barge she sat in, like a burnished throne,
 Burned on the water: the poop was beaten gold;
  Purple the sails, and so perfumed that
   The winds were lovesick with them; the oars were silver,
    Which to the tune of flutes kept stroke, and made
     The water which they beat to follow faster,
      As amorous of their strokes. 
 The Owl and the Pussy-Cat went to sea
 In a beautiful pea-green boat.  
 The Owl and the Pussy-Cat went to sea
 In a beautiful pea-green boat. 
 Gracefully, gracefully glides our bark
 On the bosom of Father Thames,
  And before her bows the wavelets read more 
 Gracefully, gracefully glides our bark
 On the bosom of Father Thames,
  And before her bows the wavelets dark
   Break into a thousand gems. 
 But oars alone can ne'er prevail
 To reach the distant coast;
  The breath of Heaven must swell read more 
 But oars alone can ne'er prevail
 To reach the distant coast;
  The breath of Heaven must swell the sail,
   Or all the toil is lost. 
Like the watermen that row one way and look another.
Like the watermen that row one way and look another.
 Faintly as tolls the evening chime,
 Our voices keep tune and our oars keep time,
  Soon as read more 
 Faintly as tolls the evening chime,
 Our voices keep tune and our oars keep time,
  Soon as the woods on shore dim,
   We'll sing at St. Ann's our parting hymn;
    Row, brothers, row, the stream runs fast,
     The rapids are near and the daylight's past.