The Sea of Life

Smoothly we sail o’er life’s mighty sea, Our pleasant delusion, or rather our dream, Is a picture of joy that is to be. Ah! life, yes life, is all serene. We shout and laugh as we sail along And as echo returns from o’er the way Like a mermaid’s song In warning tone, it seems to say: Laugh on, ye fool, for you can’t laugh long; Even now there’s a cloud in sight. As it passes the sun you’ll change your song, And life will not be near so bright. Then we look about through the bright blue sky. There’s no cloud there that we can see. We ridicule the mermaid’s cry And drink long life and prosperity. Then the sea grows rough, and our frail bark Is tossed about in the ocean foam. The cloud has raised, the sky grows dark, We are struggling away alone; We struggle and fight to the very last. Our ship of life is tempest tossed, And ere the Golden Harbor’s passed Our life is spent, our joy is lost. So this is life that we are given! For me, I’ll simply heave a sigh And say that it’s not worth the living, And nurse the thought that we must die.