Mängijad istuvad põrandal reas üksteise süles, õõtsutavad kahele poole ja laulavad. Esimene mängija on laeva kippar. Tulevad ostjad, proovivad, kas laev on kõva ja püüavad istujaid üksteise sülest ära kiskuda.
The players sit in a row on each others laps on the floor. They sway from side to side and sing. The first of the players is the captain. Buyers come to look the ship over. They test the ship to see if it is strong enough by trying to pull the players off each others laps.
Sõua, laeva, jõua, laeva,
sõua, laeva, sinna maale,
kus nied kuked kulda juovad,
kuked kulda, kanad karda,
aned aljasta õbeda,
piened linnud penningida,
vareksed vana rahada!
Laevakippar, poisikene,
ärä lase laeva liiva juosta,
karata karimeresse,
puutuda punakivisse!
Ida tuul tuli iskimaie,
kagu tuul tuli katsumaie,
lõunatuul tuli lõhkumaie.
Viis ta nied mehed meresse,
udusärgid ummikasse,
linajuuksed liivakusse,
saapasääred salme'essa.
Arju sepp, minu armas venda,
tie mulle teraksest nuota,
miska vean mehed meresta,
udusärgid ummikasta,
linajuuksed liivakusta,
saapasääred salme'esta!
Row, ship, and get there, ship,
get to that land, ship,
where cocks drink gold,
cocks drink gold, hens eat gilt,
geese eat verdant silver,
small birds eat pennies,
crows eat old money.
Oh captain, my dear boy,
don't let the ship run aground,
[don't let it] stray into the reef sea,
[don't let it] touch the red rocks.
The east wind came to strike the ship,
the south-east wind to touch it,
the south wind to break it.
The wind carried the men into the sea,
the gauze-shirts into the waves,
flaxen-haired ones into the sand,
the boot-calves into the strait.
Dear brother, blacksmith of Harju,
make me a seine of steel
to pull the men from the sea,
the gauze-shirts from the waves,
flaxen-haired ones from the sand,
the boot-calves from the strait.
ERA, Pl. 28 A2 < Jõelähtme khk., Viimsi v., Randvere k. – H. Tampere, A. Pulst Riigi Ringhäälingus 1936. a. < Mari Kilu, 84-a.
[LP VII 3; CD3-3].