“De Hamborger Veermaster” (The Hamburg Four-Master) is a sea shanty from Northern Germany, sung in a combination of English and Hamburgisch Low German, or Platt Deutsch dialect. The song dates back to the late 19th century, but is still beloved by the people of Hamburg and the surrounding areas as a work song and a piece of their folk identity.

De Hamborger Veermaster
Ick heff mol een Hamborger Veermaster sehn,
To my hooday!
De Masten so scheef as den Schipper sien Been,
To my hoo day, hoo day, ho – ho – ho – ho!

CHORUS
Blow, boys, blow, for Californio,
There’s plenty of gold, so I am told,
On the banks of Sacramento

Dat Deck weer vull Isen, vull Dreck un vull Smeer.
To my hooday!
„Rein Schipp“ weer den Oll’n sin scheunstes Pläseer.
To my hoo day, hoo day, ho – ho – ho – ho!

De Kombüs weer vull Lüüs, de Kajüt weer vull Schiet,
To my hooday!
De Beschüten, de leupen von sülvens all wiet.
To my hoo day, hoo day, ho – ho – ho – ho!

Dat Soltfleesch weer greun, un de Speck wör vull Modn.
To my hooday!
Un Köm geef dat blots an Wiehnachtsobend.
To my hoo day, hoo day, ho – ho – ho – ho!

Un wulln wi mol seiln, ick sech ji dat nur,
To my hooday!
Denn lööp he dree vorut un veer wedder retur.
To my hoo day, hoo day, ho – ho – ho – ho!

Un as dat Schipp, so weer ok de Kaptein,
To my hooday!
De Lüüd för dat Schipp, de weern ok blots schangheit.
To my hoo day, hoo day, ho – ho – ho – ho!

English Translation
I once saw a four-master from Hamburg.
To my hooday!
Her masts were as crooked as the skipper’s legs.
To my hoo day, hoo day, ho – ho – ho – ho!

CHORUS
Blow, boys, blow, for Californio,
There’s plenty of gold, so I am told,
On the banks of Sacramento

The deck was full of iron, dirt and grease.
To my hooday!
´Clean the ship´ was the captain’s most beautiful joy.
To my hoo day, hoo day, ho – ho – ho – ho!

The galley was full of lice, the cabin was full of shit.
To my hooday!
The biscuits walked away all by themselves.
To my hoo day, hoo day, ho – ho – ho – ho!

The salted meat was green, the bacon was full of maggots
To my hooday!
Snaps was only there at Christmas Eve.
To my hoo day, hoo day, ho – ho – ho – ho!

And if we wanted to sail, I merely say,
To my hooday!
She moved three footages ahead and four back again.
To my hoo day, hoo day, ho – ho – ho – ho!

And like the ship, so the captain was,
To my hooday!
The men for the ship were all shanghaied.
To my hoo day, hoo day, ho – ho – ho – ho!