Catherine and the Pirate

Catherine and the Pirate

There's many a tale that's told or sung
Upon the salt sea air
But none can match the ballad here
Of sweet Catherine and her pirate fair
For they did sail the fickle sea
With a lusty breeze in their hair

Sweet Catherine left her father's house
His belt and fist to flee
And she did dress in man's array
And steal away to sea
She left upon a merchant's ship
And so a man was she

The Captain was a bonny man
And kept his charges well
So he kept sweet Catherine
Upon the oily swell
Never thought he his cabin lad
Could hide himself so well

They sailed the bounding salt-drenched sea
Until they reached the shore
And there at last they made their port
There to heal their briny sores
And sweet Catherine, still she vowed
To hide her sex forevermore

Within the night it silent came
A great black ship of ragged sail
Captain'd by the pirate maid
Jessica, who made babes wail
And there within that silent port
The Captain brave fled and turned tail

Within that night the raiders struck
And they struck hard and fast
They burned the sails and took the men
In chains they held them fast
But still bold Catherine fought hard and true
And held out to the last

Proud Jessica strode 'cross the deck
Her eyes and torch alight
She chopped the rigging ropes straight through
As all gave in with out a fight
But still Catherine fought long and hard
All through the vicious night

Sweet Catherine's strong arms grew weak
and she began to fall
And she cried out to the last few
"Dear friends, please bear my pall,
Dear friends please bear me out to sea
And there to let me fall!"

But Jessica bore down on her
With fire in her eyes
And the pirate maid did bind her up
In chains beneath the skies
And she took her to the brigand's ship
Ignoring all her cries

Jessica did cry to her crew
"We have another man,
But still his pretty face belies
The duties of a sailing man
And still his beardless chin is smooth
I doubt that he shall prove a man!"

Bold Catherine stood tall in chains
And faced her captors well
"I am still yet a man, good sirs
Upon this oily swell,
And upon the sainted lands
No secret must I tell!"

She was unchained and thrown below
Her duties to attend
And there she stayed til fall of night
When Jessica did descend
She spoke to Catherine plain and true
"Your conduct must you mend."

"What conduct, lass, have I shown?
What claim have you to me?
For you have killed all that I loved
Upon this bloody sea
And still you hold me here below
As a prisoner here to thee."

Proud Jessica looked in her eyes
And saw that she spoke true
She took sweet Catherine's hands in hers
"Tell me your story, and tell it true.
For here am I, the captain bold
Held in thrall to you

So Catherine did tell her tale,
And she did speak it true
And told she then her secret dark
To Jessica's eyes so blue
Said she "now am I come to a pirate ship,
To tell this tale to you."

They sat there through the boundless night
Alone, but for the sea
Catherine did show her sex
For the pirate maid to see
And Jessica did hold her close
As she wept another sea

Through the vicious night they stayed
Within each other's arms
For Catherine the bold of heart
Was helpless to the pirate's charms
And proud Jessica the pirate lass
Melted in the maiden's arms

Within that creaking hold they lay
Like a woman and a man
But still sweet Catherine was a maid
And Jessica no man
But still she said to her sweet love
"I need no other man,

For I could love the breast of a man
And kiss his two lips red
And I could hold him through the night
And take him to my bed
But still, no man could love me so
Be he living or dead"

And Catherine spoke to her pirate maid
"Desert you could I never
For I am yours and you are mine
Body and soul forever
And I shall hold you with love's close bonds
That no cold steel can sever"

There they lay til light of day
When the alarm was rung
That close at hand was a navy ship
And all aboard could be hung
They readied every cannon
And loaded every gun

The navy ship it bore down fast
Upon the brigand's sails
And still they fought it long and true
And not a heart did quail
And still they fought their assailants there
With no hope to prevail

Proud Jessica leapt to the bow
And brandished a flaming sword
But then came a burst from the mighty cannon
And she fell without a word
She fell to the deck of the frigate ship
And gasped her final words

"Sweet Catherine dear, my only love
Remember me, I beg
Speak of me in quiet tongues
As I am a woman, this I beg
Of you, speak true of me"
And then she sank onto the deck

Bold Catherine let out a harrowed cry
And through the fray she flew
And she did kiss her Jessica
Her lips of red and eyes of blue
And as she lay there in the smoke
She knew her maid was true

There upon the smoky ship
She took her lover's knife
And with it pierced her manly coat
And the flesh of no man's wife
And there she cut out her own heart
To end her youthful life

So speak not of lovers with broken hearts
And those who cry for love
Speak not of those who are lonely
As the orphaned turtle dove
For this is the story of Catherine bold
And how she lost her life and love.