The first song in Gilbert and Sullivan's Pirates of Penzance. It is Frederic's 21st birthday, upon which he is to freed from his indentures, and they are celebrating on on the pirate ship.
Act I
Scene.--A rocky sea-shore on the coast of Cornwall. In the
distance is a calm sea, on which a schooner is lying at anchor. As the curtain rises groups of pirates are discovered--some drinking, some playing cards. SAMUEL, the Pirate Lieutenant, is going from one group to another, filling the cups from a flask. FREDERIC is seated in a despondent attitude at the back of the scene.
OPENING CHORUS:
Pour, oh, pour the pirate sherry;
Fill, oh, fill the pirate glass;
And, to make us more than merry,
Let the pirate bumper pass.
SAMUEL:
For to-day our pirate 'prentice
Rises from indenture freed;
Strong his arm, and keen his scent is,
He's a pirate now indeed!
ALL:
Here's good luck to Frederic's ventures!
Frederic's out of his indentures.
SAMUEL.
Two-and-twenty, now he's rising,
And alone he's fit to fly,
Which we're bent on signalizing
With unusual revelry.
ALL.
Here's good luck to Frederic's ventures!
Frederic's out of his indentures.
Pour, oh, pour the pirate sherry;
Fill, oh, fill the pirate glass;
And, to make us more than merry,
Let the pirate bumper pass.
FREDERIC rises and comes forward with PIRATE KING, who enters
KING.
Yes, Frederic, from to-day you rank as a full-blown member of our band.
ALL.
Hurrah!
FREDERIC.
My friends, I thank you all, from my heart, for your kindly wishes. Would that I could repay them as they deserve!
KING.
What do you mean?
FREDERIC.
To-day I am out of my indentures, and to-day I leave you for ever.
KING.
But this is quite unaccountable; a keener hand at scuttling a Cunarder or cutting out a P. and O. never shipped a handspike.
FREDERIC.
Yes, I have done my best for you. And why? It was my duty under my indentures, and I am the slave of duty. As a child I was regularly apprenticed to your band. It was through an error--no matter, the mistake was ours, not yours, and I was in honour bound by it.
SAMUEL.
An error? What error?
RUTH enters
FREDERIC.
I may not tell you; it would reflect upon my well-loved Ruth.
RUTH.
Nay, dear master, my mind has long been gnawed by the cankering tooth of mystery. Better have it out at once.
Song--RUTH: When Frederic Was a Little Lad