A salute's called for here, for brave men from a day of wooden ships and iron men. Long may they be remembered!
BLICKSEMS! DIE ALIBAMA!
This is a traditional Afrikaans song, especially popular among the Cape Malays in Cape Town. It is translated into English as "There comes the Alabama, the Alabama comes over the sea. Girl, girl, the reed bed is made, the reed bed is made for me to sleep on."There are two stories about its origin: one is that the song was composed about the US Confederate raiding ship Alabama which called in Cape Town during the American Civil War in 1863 after capturing the Federal ship Sea Bride in Table Bay, leading to a huge party on the beach where the captain, Admiral Semmes, handed out provisions seized during raids. Another theory is that there was a local boat called Alabama that brought thatching reads to Cape Town from St Helena Bay on the West Coast of South Africa.
Daar kom die Alibama,
Die Alibama die kom oor die see
Daar kom die Alibama,
Die Alibama die kom oor die see.
Nooi, nooi, die rietkooi, nooi,
Die rietkooi is gemaak,
Die rietkooi is vir my gemaak
Om daarop te slaap.
Nooi, nooi, die rietkooi, nooi,
Die rietkooi is gemaak,
Die rietkooi is vir my gemaak
Om daarop te slaap.
Die Alibama, die Alibama,
Die Alibama kom oor die see.
Die Alibama, die Alibama,
Die Alibama kom oor die see.
A salute's called for here, for brave men from a day of wooden ships and iron men. Long may they be remembered!