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The Day of the Little Ships

Poem by Cicely Fox Smith

Adapted for singing by Mike Kennedy, ©2010

Printable Version - PDF ~ MP3 - Complete ~ Original Poem ~ Notes

 

Long after the shadow of war is fled
And the last battle is fought
Men will remember the Little Ships
And the great things that they wrought.
We shall tell it over with laughter and tears
The homely names they bore-
They, not meant for the bap-tis-m of fire
And the grim uses of war.

Paddler, dinghy and sailing barge
"Eagle" and "Queen" and "Belle,"
And the humble Marthas of all the port
That have no name to tell.
Let us remember them and their men
Who asked not fee or fame
But all that they knew was a job to do
And they spat on their palms and came.

They dared the hell of the shell swept dunes,
The hell of the bomb torn tide,
They cared not a damn if they sank or swam
Nor if they lived or died
Home they came from the coast of death,
Each with their tale of men
Stayed but to set them upon the shore
Then back into hell again.

Break

Hereafter, while England's cliffs still stand,
And the Channel tides do roll,
Let us remember the Little Ships -
How on the Day of the Little Ships
They saved an army whole.

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Original Poem:

The Day of Little Ships

by Cicely Fox Smith
From PUNCH Magazine, Volume 198, June 19, 1940.

Long after the shadow of war is fled
And the last battle is fought
Men will remember the Little Ships
And the great things they wrought.

We shall tell over with laughter and tears
The homely names they bore —
They, not meant for the baptism of fire
And the grim uses of war.

Paddler and dinghy and sailing barge
Eagle and Queen and Belle,
And the humble Marthas of the ports
That have no name to tell.

Let us remember them and their men
Who asked not fee nor fame,
But all they knew was a job to do,
And they spat on their palms and they came.

They dared the hell of the shell-swept dunes,
The hell of the bomb-torn tide,
They cared not a damn if they sank or swam,
Nor yet if they lived or died.

Home they came from that coast of death,
Each with her tale of men,
Stayed but to set them ashore — and so
Back to hell’s mouth again. . . .

Therefore, while England’s cliffs shall stand,
And the Channel tides do roll,
Let us remember the Little Ships —
How on the Day of the Little Ships
They saved an army whole.


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Notes:

Tune by Mike Kennedy, ©2010, recorded 5/17/2012

The evacuation of Dunkirk took place between the 27th of May and 4th of June 1940, with many civilian ships assisting in the rescue of the British and allied troops.

"Humble Marthas" a reference to inconsequential people or things.
See the story of Martha and Mary in Luke 10:38-42.

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