The Last Blast of Anthony the Trumpeter

Text by Kamala Sankaram
based on a short story by Washington Irving

Attend the bitter end of Anthony von Corlear
Whose final cry gives the water its name:
"En Spuyt den Duyvil, trotseer ik het Water!
I am a man of parts,
The only squire of Hardkoppig Peter.
He has called me to sound the trumpet
To protect my beloved Manahatta.
I alone can sound the alarm
Along the borders of the Bronx.
I can raise the brave boys of Tarrytown
To sling their poweer horns and merrily march down.
En Spuyt den Duyvil!"
At the fateful creek, the elements are in an uproar.
The wind is high, the night is black.
No ferry can be found.
But Anthony is resolute
And with a cry, he wades into the water:
"En Sputy den Duvyil, trotseer ik het Water!"
Now he, his Satanic Majesty, overhears the oath.
And he, his Satanic Majesty, rises from the deep.
And as the fellow plunges in, he stirs the waters up.
Anthony fights valiantly
But fighting is in vain.
And as the final wave approaches, he gives his trumpet one last blast
And then sinks slowly to the bottom.

Note: The Old Dutch phrase translates to "In spite of the Devil, I will brave the water!"