“The Greenland Disaster (II -- Sad Comes the News)”

Description

"Sad comes the news from over the sea...." The Greenland sails for the ice in March, and soon finds seals. At the end of March, a blinding snowstorm begins. The men on the ice freeze, and many are never found.

Supplemental text

Greenland Disaster (II -- Sad Comes the News), The
  Partial text(s)

          *** A ***

As printed in Ryan & Small, Haulin' Rope & Gaff, pp. 50-51. From Peacock,
Songs of the Newfoundland Outports; collected in 1951 from Jim Rice.

Sad comes the news from over the sea, from over the troubling main,
To fill the hearts of those they loved with sorrow and with pain.
With sorrow and with pain,
To fill the hearts of those they loved with sorrow and with pain.

Oh it's less than three short weeks today they left their native shore,
But all, alas, they never returned to their friends no more.
To see their friends no more,
But all, alas, they never returned to their friends no more.

(7 additional stanzas)

Notes

The Greenland incident produced several poems; Ryan and Small have no fewer than seven items on the tragedy, though their first two are both versions of "The Greenland Disaster (I)" and the last four appear to be non-traditional.

Based on Peacock's text, this is distinguished from the more-common "Greenland Disaster (I)" partly by being in triple time, partly by te first line quoted, and also by an inaccurate date (March 31 rather than March 21). - RBW

Historical references

• Mar 21, 1898 - Greenland disaster

Cross references

• cf. "The Greenland Disaster (I)" (subject)
• cf. "The Greenland Disaster (III -- Miscellaneous)" (subject)

References

1. Peacock, pp. 926-927, "The Greenland Disaster" (1 text, 1 tune)
2. Ryan/Small, pp. 50-51, "The Greenland Disaster (3)" (1 text, 1 tune)
3. ST RySm050 (Partial)
4. Roud #6465
5. BI, RySm050