Row, row to fishing-reef

All little children sleep.

No one knows where Daddy lies

Below the billows deep.



Three hardy sons once set sail

In a boat they went to sea.

Their Daddy went along with them

All Mummy did was weep.



They traveled out to fishing-sea

And Daddy fell into the blue.

Daddy was dead, and gone from sight,

So far from the mainland, too.



Row, row to fishing reef

Old Daddy's fast asleep.

Among the many fish they took

From the salty deep.



The catch was absolutely great:

Many thousand kroner.

Money's what a wife and kid

Wait quietly at home for!



Everyone said "Of course, of course

Time and fish is money.

Daddy we must put on ice

To stop him from smelling funny!"



Row, row to fishing-reef

Boys will still be boys.

They'll sell the fish for plenty

And buy themselves big toys.



The first day out was pretty cold

And then it stayed that way.

But Dad was thoroughly salted down

And gutted, sad to say.



The fishing it went on and on,

Nobody'd time to quarrel.

It paid to put ol' Daddy down

Inside a herring barrel.



Row, row to fishing-reef.

Washed, well-shaven, billeted,

Ol' daddy's resting quietly

Neatly cleaned and filleted!



The flag was hoisted up on high

And Daddy's clever sons

Had salted fish for cargo now

In barrels by the tons.



The youngest of these clever boys

Said, "First let's empty out the boat.

Then we'll take the barrel out

Where Daddy's resting quartered.



The barrel that I'm talkin' 'bout,

The one where Dad's asleep,

Has a label with a herring on

With an anchor underneath."-