"Al Die Willen te Kaap'ren Varen" - Dutch Privateers' Song [Lyrics + Translation]

Also known simply as "Kaap'ren Varen" or "Mannen Met Baarden", this Dutch folk song reinforces that true privateers should be real men, who know how to get things done and are not afraid of death.
The exact age of this song is unknown; it was first referenced in 1856, though there are other versions dating centuries back. This (albeit more modern) version was recorded by Ancora in 2013. The first line means literally "sail to hijack", meaning privateering or commission sailing (privately owned ships who are hired by a government for use in war).

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In the 16th century, the Low Countries were under the authority of the Spanish-Habsburg Empire. Between 1568 and 1648, they sought less taxation, more self-government, and religious tolerance from Spain; a struggle that transformed into a war of independence that became known as the Eighty Years' War.
Placing himself at the head of the revolt, Willem van Oranje needed soldiers to combat the formidable Spanish armies. He made diplomatic alliances, raised militias, hired mercenaries, and also turned his attention to a group of desperadoes and pirates known as the Watergeuzen (Beggars of the Sea).
From 1569, Willem van Oranje made official privateers of those who until then had been criminal pirates. Under the command of a succession of daring and reckless leaders, the Sea Beggars were transformed into an effective and organized fighting force against Spain.
This was the birth of Dutch privateering, a business that would one day grow to form a global empire and one of the most powerful naval forces in the world.