EC balley veg ny Frangee, er dorrid ny bleeaney
Flod veg dy hiy,-chaggee ren geddyn fo hiaull;
As, choud as veagh Thurot kion-reiltagh e glieiney,
Cha bailloo ve orroo dy jinnagh ad coayl.

Sheer caggey nol yn ree ain, gyn aggle ny nearey,
As roostey as spooilley yn Ymmodee siyn,
Yn gheay ren ee sheidey er ardjyn ny Haarey,
As gimman ad stiagh er reeriaght yn ree ain.

Eisht hie ad rish dy goaill Carrickfergus ayns Nherin,
As myr va ad cheet faagys gys ny voallaghyn v'ayn,
Ard-chaptan jeh yn valley dooyrt rish c hidooryn :
Shegin dooin ad y oltagh lesh bulladyn veih nyn gunn."

Ny-yeih shoh ayns tra gerrid va'n phoodyr oc baarr't'
Nagh voddagh ad dy hassoo as eddin dy chur daue,
Eisht captan jeh yn valley dooyrt reesht rish e gheiney
"Nish shegin dooin roie orroo lesh cliweny,n ayns laue.'

Va yn stayd oc danjeyragh dy cronnal ry-akin,
Eisht dooyrt ee roo: " Shegin dooin cur scose huc ayns traa,
Erson foddee mayd jerkal rish baase fegooish myghin,
Neayr as nagh vel shin abyl nyn noidjyn y hyndaa."

As myr shen haink ad stiagh 'sy valley ny mairagh,
Dy yannoo myr bailloo rish ooilley ny va ayn.
Mysh lieh-checad dy Frangee va ayns shen neuvioagh,
Daag Thurot cheu-chooylloo nyn lhie ayns y joan.

Tra va Carrick-veg-Fergus oc spooillit dy bollagh,
Nagh chiare ad cisht dy roshtyn yn Ellan shoh cha n'hione;
Agh s'beggan erree vocsyn er quoi veagh nyn hailtagh,
Yinnagh yn daanys ocsyn cur-lesh ooilley gys kione.

She Elliot veeit ad rish, quol orroo ren lhiggey,
As lesh eddin ghebejagh*doad eh orroo aile.
Hie Thurot mooar dy-chione, lesh ooilley'n voyrn echey,
Agh sheese begin da lhoobey er-boayrd yn "Velleisle."

Tra haink ad rish dy-cheilley, as gunnaghyn lhiggey,
As ny cronnagyn getlagh, goll shiar as goll sheear,
Fuill Frangagh myr ushtey dy palchey va deayrtey,
As "Belleisle" vooar y Thurot va thowillt myr y chreear.

Ny Frangee myr ceastyn va scart er ny deckyn;
Tra hirrey ad son Thurot fud shilley cha trimshagh,
Va eshyn eisht ny chadley ayns diunid ny marrey;
Cha lhiass dauesyn ve moyrnagh ass Thurot mooar ny smoo.

Slane shey-feed ayns coontey dy reih gunnaghyn
Frangagh Nol gunnaghyn jeh Elliot queig-feed as kiare;
Three longyn nol three, ren ad caggey shen dy barbagh
Er derrey hooar Thurot e voynyn ayns yn aer.

Va oyr m'e ec ny Frangee dy ghobberan dy sharroo,
Erson yn obbyr va jeant ayns three lieh jeh yn oor;
Three-cheead neesht jeh cheshaght va lhottit ny marroo,
As dussan dy checadyn goll stiagh 'sy thie-stoyr.

Va queig jeh ny Sosthynee slane marroo myrgeddin,
As 'nane-jeig as feed gortit dy dewil ayns y chah;
Agh shimmey v'er ennaghtyn guin yn traa cheddin v'ayn,
Erbe yn Elliot dunnal ren cosney er shen laa.

Nagh dunnal yn dooinney va'n Offisher Forbes,
Ghow cullyr lhong jeh Thurot er-boayd yn ch'ed er;
As Thomason myrgeddin hie sheese ayns yn arkey,
Dy yeigh ny thulll-valsh eck lesh barragh as gierr.

Fir-veaghee jeh Vannin v'er cheu heear yn Ellan,
Eer Aspick Vark Hildesley, as ooilley e hie,
Ren jeeaghyn dy tastagh, as fakin as clashtyn,
Velh hoshiaght dy yerrey, yn caggey mooar va cloie.

Croan-sprit jeh yn "Velleisle," tra ve currit er shiaulley,
Ve eiyrit as immanit kiart stiagh er y traie,
Ve soit ec yn aspick son cooinaght jeh 'n chaggey,
Er yn vnnyd ard-chronnal er-gerrey da e hie.

Eisht mygeayrt Kione-ny-Haarey hie ny deiney-seyrey,
As hug ad lhieu nyn gappee kart stiagh baiy Rumsaa.
Ec yn irree-ny-greiney ny Frangee va keayney,
Tra honnick ad Thurot vooar currit sheese dys e fea.

Tra hoig shin ayns Ellan Vannin cre'n ghaue v'er n'gholl shaghey,
As cre raad va ny deiney v'er reayll shin veih ghaue,
Ny ard phobble ny cheerey, eer mraane chammah 's deiney,
Haink ad cooldjagh dy veeiteill as dy oltaghey daue.

Va genmys nyn reih caarjyn ec theay as shiolteyryn,
Va mooar jeant jeh yn cheshaght, quoi ren cur lesh y laa
As rieau neayr's ren hiaull Ree Illiam dys Nherin,
Cha ren rieau lheih ny laaghyn soilshean harrish Rumsaa.

O sleih cheerey as shiolteyryn, trog-jee seose arraneyn
Ny Frangee ta ad castit er dy chooilley heu;
Ta yn chaptan oc cadley ayns diunid ny marrey;
Ny lhig dauesyn ve moyrnagh ass Thurot mooar ny smoo.

Nish lhieen mayd yn veilley, as in mayd dy cheilley,
Lesh shee-dy-vea feer gennal gys George-yn-Troor nyn ree.
Son she ny siyn-chaggee, ta shin orroo shiaulley,
Va yn saase dreill ny noidjyn ass-y-raad ny Manninee.

AT a little French township, in the dark time of the year,
A small fleet of war vessels did get ready to sail
And, as long as Thurot was chief ruler of the men,
It would not be thought by them that they could be losers.

Oft against our king they fought, without terror or disgrace,
And robbing and then spoiling much of our shipping,
The wind it was blowing hard on the coast of the Ayre,¹
And drove them straight on to the dominions of our king.

Then went they forth to capture Carrickfergus in Ireland,
And as they advancéd near to the walls that were there,
The chief captain of the town said unto his soldiers:
"We must give them a salute with bullets from our guns."

In a short time after this their powder was all spent,
And they were not able to stand up and face the foe,
Then the captain of the town said again to his men
Now we must rush outo n them with our swords in our hands."

Their state was dangerous, as could then plainly be seen,
Then said he unto them: "We must surrender in time,
Because we may look forward to death without mercy,
Since we are not able to turn off our enemies."

And so they came straight into the town on the morrow,
To do just as they desired with all that was therein.
Near half a hundred Frenchmen were quite lifeless in there,
But Thurot left them all behind lying down in the dust.

When little Carrickfergus was completely strippéd,
They then meant to arrive in this Island all unknown
But how little did they think who would first meet them there,²
Who all their impertinence would bring unto an end.

It was Elliot that they met, who made an attack on them,
And with a most daring front openéd³ fire on them.
Right ahead went great Thurot, with all his wonted pride,
But he had to surrender on board of the "Belleisle."

When they all came together, and were firing the guns,
And the top-~nasts were flying, going east and going west,
The Frenchmen's blood like water most freely was spilling,
And Thurot's great ship "Belleisle" was riddled like a sieve.

The Frenchmen just like fishes were spread out on the decks
When they sought for Thurot 'midst such a sad sight,
He was then fast asleep in the depths of the sea ;
They need not be so proud of great Thurot any more.

There were six score fully of the choicest French guns
Against Elliot's cannons, which were five score and four;
Three ships of battle against three, they fought very fiercely,
Till Thurot he discovered his heels up in the air.

The Frenchmen had good reason to lament bitterly,
For the business that was done in three halves of an hour
Of the sailors three hundred were wounded sore or dead,
And a dozen of hundreds going into the hold.

There were five of the English, who were dead there also,
And thirty-one more wounded severely in the fray;
But many a one would have felt wounded at that same time,
Had not the gallant Elliot won the fight on that day.

How valliant a man was the officer Forbes,
The first who took the colour of Thurot's ship on board
And Thomason also, who went down into the sea,
To fasten up her death-holes~" with tow ends and tallow.

The inhabitants of Mannin on the Island's west side,
Even Bishop Mark Hildesley, and all his household too,
Were observing most keenly, and seeing and hearing,
From beginning unto end, how the big fight was played.

The bowsprit of the "Belleisle," when it was broken off,.'.
Was then drifted and driven straight in upon the shore,
'Twas set up by the bishop to record the battle,
On the most conspicuous place quite close unto his house.

Then around the Point of Ayre went on the gallant men,
They carried their prisoners right into Ramsey bay.
At the rising of the sun the Frenchmen were mourning,
When they beheld great Thurot consigned unto his rest.

When we had learned in Manxland what danger had gone past,
And where the men were lying that kept us from danger,
The chief folk of the country, e'en women and men too,
Together came to meet and give a welcome to them.

They were called their best friends by landsmen and sailors,
Much was made of the sailors,+ who had won on that day; ,
And never since King William had sailed unto Ireland,
"ere there such bright days shining over Ramsey.

O country folk and sailors, raise your voices and sing
The Frenchmen are defeated upon every quarter;
Their chief captain he sleepeth in the depth of the sea;
They need not be so proud of great Thurot any more.

Now we will the bowl fill up, and we'll drink together,
With a most cheerful welcome to George the Third our king:
Because they are his warships whereon we are sailing,
Which have kept our enemies away from the Manxmen.

* Debejagh, " darin,-, desperate." Not found in the dictionary.

1 "The Point of Ayre."
2 who would be their qualtagh,"
3 i.e.the first person to meet them. lit."
4" choice,"
5 " company."
6 holes made by the cannon shot under the water.
7 given on sailing."

see Thurot and Elliot; for music see p 236

Any comments, errors or omissions gratefully received The Editor
HTML Transcription © F.Coakley , 2001