Armida / The Pirate Ship of Captain Jim

2 minute read Published: 2025-12-15

Written by Nikos Kavvadias, translated by me.


Look, the pirate ship of captain Jim
has its side-lights backwards when it's shipping
it will take a thousand people tripping
'cause it's filled with hashish to the brim

Since we hoist the sail five months have passed
If the weather helps a little too
By the time we finally reach Peru
We'll have smoked the cargo to the last

Sailing on a vast and endless brine
Filled with varied rare and wondrous plants
Some old sun observing us askance
Giving us a wink from time to time

Cargo doors lie empty and ajar
Thousand tonnes are gone without a trace
Empty pipes await us at the place
where Chilean port inspectors are

The North Star forgotten who-knows-where
All the anchors drifting in the sea
On the ladders, hanging in the air
sirens twelve, arrayed for us to see

And the mermaid that lived on the bow
jumped into the sea while she was wasted
and beside her slithering in tow
Five condemned Columbus had arrested

Lastly near Angora all together
we will end up washed up on the shore
monsters dyed with crimson to our fore
heads adorned with some gull-looking feather


It also has music, though with the Greek lyrics.