At dawn, there was a burial at sea
Only one attended; none gathered in a crowd
It was a burial, a burial for me
–
I, as the priest, did make one final plea
That to the depths this body would fall, never to reach heaven’s cloud
At dawn, there was a burial at sea
–
With tears of joy, I wrapped and sealed so carefully
The remains of a coward, who was in their failings proud
It was a burial, a burial for me
–
The jailer who for all my life held me in captivity
Was securely chained and head lowly bowed
At dawn, there was a burial at sea
–
Gulls above sung Te Deum while I swung to the count of three
The body that to all the world was a curse spoke aloud
It was a burial, a burial for me
–
In expectation for the corpse, the waves did dance so merrily
All was reconciled when below the surface sank the shroud
At dawn, there was a burial at sea
It was a burial, a burial for me