 | The select poems of Dr. Thomas Dunn English (exclusive of the "Battle lyrics") |  |
CÆSAR ROWAN.
Yes, I heern about de proclamation—
Ole Mas' Linkum's—dessay, boss, it's right;
But fo' seventy yeah on dis plantation
Young Mas' Jeemes an' I have fit de fight,
An' to-day
Whah I've bin I mean to stay.
Ole Mas' Linkum's—dessay, boss, it's right;
But fo' seventy yeah on dis plantation
Young Mas' Jeemes an' I have fit de fight,
An' to-day
Whah I've bin I mean to stay.
Don't p'ecisely know how ole I be, sah;
But I 'memb' dat ole Mas' Rowan sed,
“No use tellin' me about ow Cesah;
He was ten when Cousin John went dead—
Ten fo' sho”—
Dat was sixty yeah ago.
But I 'memb' dat ole Mas' Rowan sed,
“No use tellin' me about ow Cesah;
He was ten when Cousin John went dead—
Ten fo' sho”—
Dat was sixty yeah ago.
Heah I've bin upon de ole plantation
Evvah sence—knowed all de folks aroun'.
What's de use o' makin' a noration?
Deh all dead, done gone, an' ondergroun',
So it seems;
No one lef' but young Mas' Jeemes.
Evvah sence—knowed all de folks aroun'.
What's de use o' makin' a noration?
Deh all dead, done gone, an' ondergroun',
So it seems;
No one lef' but young Mas' Jeemes.
Him an' me were raised by ole Mas' Rowan.
High ole times, boss, mawnin', night, an' noon.
In de fields we wuhked whah hands were hoein';
In de woods we went to hunt de coon.
Wuhk an' play,
We were pardners ev'ry day.
High ole times, boss, mawnin', night, an' noon.
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In de woods we went to hunt de coon.
Wuhk an' play,
We were pardners ev'ry day.
An' when he growed up an' went to college
Down at Williamsbu'g, I tell yuh den,
Cesah, he picked up a heap o' knowledge,
Tendin' on him 'mong de gentlemen—
Cesah dah,
Cesah heah, an' everywhah.
Down at Williamsbu'g, I tell yuh den,
Cesah, he picked up a heap o' knowledge,
Tendin' on him 'mong de gentlemen—
Cesah dah,
Cesah heah, an' everywhah.
Den he mawied—mawied Nancy Merritt,
Ginnul Petah's daughtah from Soufside.
Tell yuh, boss, she had a mighty sperrit,
Beauty—mps! an' full o' grace an' pride;
Eyes so bright,
Fahly lit de house at night.
Ginnul Petah's daughtah from Soufside.
Tell yuh, boss, she had a mighty sperrit,
Beauty—mps! an' full o' grace an' pride;
Eyes so bright,
Fahly lit de house at night.
Young Mas' Randolph he come nex' Decembah,
Christmas-day, sah—ki! de time was good;
Eggnog plenty—dah I mus' remembah.
Cesah he got tight—o' co'se he would;
Drunk wid joy,
Kase Miss Nancy had a boy.
Christmas-day, sah—ki! de time was good;
Eggnog plenty—dah I mus' remembah.
Cesah he got tight—o' co'se he would;
Drunk wid joy,
Kase Miss Nancy had a boy.
Setch a boy as dat when he growed oldah!
Stout an' strong, de maken' of a man.
Dis yeh chin jes' retched up to his shouldah;
I was nowhah 'longside young Mas' Ran'—
Nowhah—no!
An' I ain't a dwarf fo' sho.
Stout an' strong, de maken' of a man.
Dis yeh chin jes' retched up to his shouldah;
I was nowhah 'longside young Mas' Ran'—
Nowhah—no!
An' I ain't a dwarf fo' sho.
Well, one day, I 'membah dat for sahtain,
We sot out wid grist fo' Sinkah's mill.
Young Mas' Jeemes sez, jes' as we were startin',
“Keep ole Cesah safe!” Sez he, “I will!
Yes, dat's so!
Bring back Cesah, wheddah no.”
We sot out wid grist fo' Sinkah's mill.
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“Keep ole Cesah safe!” Sez he, “I will!
Yes, dat's so!
Bring back Cesah, wheddah no.”
Den he smile, Mas' Ran' he smile dat mawnin'
Like an angel—yes, he did, po' boy!
No one seemed to have a mite o' wawnin'
What was comin' on to spile our joy.
Down de hill,
On we rode to Sinkah's mill.
Like an angel—yes, he did, po' boy!
No one seemed to have a mite o' wawnin'
What was comin' on to spile our joy.
Down de hill,
On we rode to Sinkah's mill.
Gwine dah, Rocky Branch was high an' roa'in';
Jes' above de mill de bridge we cros';
Puffick taw'ent off de dam was pou'in';
Fall in dah, boss, den you sho done los'.
I rid on;
Down de bridge went—I was gone.
Jes' above de mill de bridge we cros';
Puffick taw'ent off de dam was pou'in';
Fall in dah, boss, den you sho done los'.
I rid on;
Down de bridge went—I was gone.
Me an' hoss an' grist an' timbers fallin';
In we went, an' off we all were swep'.
Den I heah Mas' Randolph's voice a-callin',
“Hole fas', Cesah!” an' wid dat he leap'—
Nothin' mo'—
Den I loss all else fo' sho.
In we went, an' off we all were swep'.
Den I heah Mas' Randolph's voice a-callin',
“Hole fas', Cesah!” an' wid dat he leap'—
Nothin' mo'—
Den I loss all else fo' sho.
Seems to me I felt his fingahs tetch me,
Den I knowed no mo' ontwell I heah
Some one say, “De bottle yander retch me!
Gib'm a dram! He'll do now, nevah feah!”
Sez I den,
“Whah's Mas' Randolph, gentlemen?”
Den I knowed no mo' ontwell I heah
Some one say, “De bottle yander retch me!
Gib'm a dram! He'll do now, nevah feah!”
Sez I den,
“Whah's Mas' Randolph, gentlemen?”
Ev'ry one dah seemed to be dumfounded,
So I raise an' ax agin fo' him;
Den dey tole me young Mas' Ran' was drownded—
Hit his head agin a swingin' limb.
Drownded! dead!
“Po' ole Missus!” den I sed.
So I raise an' ax agin fo' him;
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Hit his head agin a swingin' limb.
Drownded! dead!
“Po' ole Missus!” den I sed.
Home de kawpse o' po' Mas' Ran' we kerried;
Dah was Missus—not a wuhd she spoke.
But she died de day dat he was buried;
Doctah Gahnett sed heh haht was broke—
She went dead
Wid a broken haht, he sed.
Dah was Missus—not a wuhd she spoke.
But she died de day dat he was buried;
Doctah Gahnett sed heh haht was broke—
She went dead
Wid a broken haht, he sed.
Sense de day we buried po' Miss Nancy,
Monsus bad times come to young Mas' Jeemes;
Dah he sits all day wropt up in fancy,
Eyes wide open, dreamin' daylight dreams.
But fo' me,
Dunno whah Mas' Jeemes would be.
Monsus bad times come to young Mas' Jeemes;
Dah he sits all day wropt up in fancy,
Eyes wide open, dreamin' daylight dreams.
But fo' me,
Dunno whah Mas' Jeemes would be.
Heah's de place whah him an' I were bawn in;
Heah we stay, an' heah we pottah roun',
Twell dey tote de pah of us some mawnin',
Way out yander to de buryin'-groun'.
Dah we'll lay
Waitin' fo' de Jedgmen' Day.
Heah we stay, an' heah we pottah roun',
Twell dey tote de pah of us some mawnin',
Way out yander to de buryin'-groun'.
Dah we'll lay
Waitin' fo' de Jedgmen' Day.
| The select poems of Dr. Thomas Dunn English (exclusive of the "Battle lyrics") | |