Tune traditional, words J. Glyn Davies.
Rope shanty, tune Oh Santiana Blow Your Horn. Santiana is also a popular English shanty. Antonio López de Santa Anna was a both a military general and a politician, fighting for Mexican independence (from Spain) and becoming president of that independent Mexico. However he had failures too including the loss of more than half of Mexico’s territory to the United States. Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Utah and half of Nevada were originally within the boundary of Mexico (Wikipedia). In this song (and others) Santiana’s name is used as a good luck charm.
Words
O Santiana! chwyth dy gorn:
Aiô, Santiana!
Gyr wyntoedd teg i rowndio’r Horn:
Mae ‘nghartre i yng Nghymru bell.
Mae’r rhaffe i gyd fel ffyn o rew,
Aiô…
A’r môr yn wyllt, ne’r niwl yn dew;
Mae ‘nghartre…
Mae tŷ fy nhad yn wyn a hardd,
A rhosys cochion yn yr ardd.
Ar ben y drws mae Mam a Nhad;
Does unlle’n debyg i fy ngwlad;
Mae’r adar bach yn canu’n y coed,
A Pero’n gwrando am sŵn fy nhroed.
Mae’r hwylie wedi rhewi’n gorn;
Gyr wyntoedd teg i rowndio’r Horn.
Translation
Oh Santiana! blow your horn:
Aiô, Santiana!
Drive fair winds to round the Horn:
My home is in distant Wales.
All of the ropes are like sticks of ice,
Aiô..
And the sea is wild, or the fog is thick;
My home…
My father’s house is white and beautiful,
And red roses in the garden.
On the threshold are Mum and Dad;
There is nowhere like my country;
The little birds sing in the trees,
And Pero listening for the sound of my foot.
The sails are frozen solid;
Drive fair winds to round the Horn.