梅斯菲尔德曾获1930年乔治五世所授的“英国桂冠诗人”称号，他只写过26首诗，14岁起便当水手，长期的漂泊生活，使他成为了著名的“大海的诗人”，这首诗歌表达了John Masefield对大海的热爱和深深眷恋之情。John Masefield的另一首著名诗歌：Cargoes 货物（双语）
Sea Fever海之恋
John Masefield 作/ 绿雪 译
I MUST go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a gray mist on the sea's face, and a gray dawn breaking.
我多想再次回到大海，
回到那寂寥的海天相连
我只想独自驾驶那高大的帆船，看浪花和白帆在风的歌唱中飞舞
雾雨弥漫在海面，透出曙色一线
I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.
我多想再次回到大海
倾听那奔越的潮汐的呐喊
那野性的呼唤如此清晰使我无法拒绝
风舞云飞，浪花涌溅，还有那海鸥的哭啼，是我唯一的惦念
I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull's way and the whale's way, where the wind's like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.我一定要再次回到大海
似吉普赛人浪迹天边
像海鸥，像鲸鱼，咧咧的风像一把锋利的刀
我只想似流浪者笑对如戏人生，让欺诈在静谧、甜美的梦中消散
。