The Death of Nelson

Transcript

O'er Nelson's dome, with silent grief oppressed, Britannia mourns her hero now at rest. But those bright laurels ne'er shall fade with the years, whose leaves are watered by a nation's tears. It was in Trafalgar's bay, we saw the full moon lay, each heart was bounding there.

We scorned the foreign yoke, for their ships were British o'er, and hearts of our cowmen. Our Nelson mocked them on the wave, the cheers our gallant seamen gave. No thought of home or beauty, along the line the signal ran.

England expects that every man this day will do his duty, this day will do his duty. And now the cannons roar, along the frighted shore, our Nelson led the way. His ship's a victory named, long be that victory famed, for victory he crowned the day.

But dearly was that conquest fought, to wail the gallant hero fought. For England home and beauty, for England home and beauty, he cried as midst the fire he ran. England expects that every man this day will do his duty, this day will do his duty.

At last the fatal wound, which spread dismay around, the hero's blast, the hero's blast received. Empires upon our side, the days are on, he cried, now long enough I've lived. In honest cause my life was fast, in honest cause I fall at last.

For England home and beauty, for England home and beauty, thus ending life as he began. England confess that every man this day has done his duty, this day has done his duty.

Transcribed by AI from the recording above. These are noisy hundred-year-old cylinders, so expect misheard words and the occasional invented line — trust your ears over the text.