 | 'Weh Down Souf and other Poems : |  |
54
DE LININ' UB DE HYMNS.
Dar's a mighty row in Zion, an' de debbil's gittin' high,
An' de saints don' beat de sinnuz, a-cussin on de sly.
What fur it am, you reggin? I'll tell you how it 'gin;
'Twuz 'bout a berry leetle thing—de linin' ub a hymn.
An' de saints don' beat de sinnuz, a-cussin on de sly.
What fur it am, you reggin? I'll tell you how it 'gin;
'Twuz 'bout a berry leetle thing—de linin' ub a hymn.
De young folks say 'tain't stylish to lin' 'um out no mo';
Dat dey's got edikashun, an' dey wants us all to know
Dey likes to hab dar singin'-books a-holin' fore dar eyes,
An' sing de hymns right straight along “to manshuns in de skies.”
Dat dey's got edikashun, an' dey wants us all to know
Dey likes to hab dar singin'-books a-holin' fore dar eyes,
An' sing de hymns right straight along “to manshuns in de skies.”
Dat it am awful fogy to give 'um out by lin',
An' ef de ol' folks will kumplain 'cause dey is ol' an' blin',
An' slabry's chain don' kep' dem back frum larnin' how to read—
Dat dey mus' take a corner seat, an' let de young folks lead.
An' ef de ol' folks will kumplain 'cause dey is ol' an' blin',
55
Dat dey mus' take a corner seat, an' let de young folks lead.
We bin 'peatin' 'hine de pastor when he sez dat lubly prayhr,
'Cause sum un us don' kno' it, an' kin not say it squahr;
But now we mus' 'peat wid him, an ef we kan't keep time,
De gospil train will drap us off from follin' on behin'.
'Cause sum un us don' kno' it, an' kin not say it squahr;
But now we mus' 'peat wid him, an ef we kan't keep time,
De gospil train will drap us off from follin' on behin'.
Well, p'raps dey's right, I kin not say; my lims is growin' ol',
But I likes to sing de dear ol' hymns, 'tiz music to my soul;
An' 'pears to me 'twont do much harm to gin 'um out by line,
Dat we ol' folks dat kin not read may foller 'long behin'.
But I likes to sing de dear ol' hymns, 'tiz music to my soul;
An' 'pears to me 'twont do much harm to gin 'um out by line,
Dat we ol' folks dat kin not read may foller 'long behin'.
56
But few ub us am lef' here now dat bore de slabry chain,
We don' edikate our boys an' gals, an' would do de same again;
An Zion's all dat's lef' us now to cheer us wid its song—
Dey mought 'low us to sing wid dem, it kin not be fur long.
We don' edikate our boys an' gals, an' would do de same again;
An Zion's all dat's lef' us now to cheer us wid its song—
Dey mought 'low us to sing wid dem, it kin not be fur long.
De sarmon's highfalutin', an' de chuch am mighty fin';
We trus' dat God still understan's ez in de days ub min',
When we, 'do' ignunt, po' an' mean, still wushuped wid de soul,
Whil' oft across our peaceful breas' de wabes ub trouble roll.
We trus' dat God still understan's ez in de days ub min',
When we, 'do' ignunt, po' an' mean, still wushuped wid de soul,
Whil' oft across our peaceful breas' de wabes ub trouble roll.
De ol'-time groans an' shouts an' moans am passin' out ub sight—
Edikashun changed all dat, an' we belebe it right,
We should serb God wid 'telligence; fur dis one thing I plead:
Jes' lebe a leetle place in chuch fur dem ez kin not read.
Edikashun changed all dat, an' we belebe it right,
We should serb God wid 'telligence; fur dis one thing I plead:
Jes' lebe a leetle place in chuch fur dem ez kin not read.
| 'Weh Down Souf and other Poems : | |