Part 7 (1/2)
If he had only kissed her, Poor leetle rossignol!
But he was los' hees sister, An' it 's alone he call-- Over de mountain, over de mountain, Hear heem call, Hear heem call--poor leetle rossignol!
Only a day of gladness, Only a day of song, Only a night of sadness Lastin' de w'ole life long.
Over de mountain, over de mountain, Hear heem call, Hear heem call--poor leetle rossignol!
[Ill.u.s.tration: Border]
Meb-be
A quiet boy was Joe Bedotte, An' no sign anyw'ere Of anyt'ing at all he got Is up to ordinaire-- An' w'en de teacher tell heem go An' tak' a holiday, For wake heem up, becos' he 's slow, Poor Joe would only say, ”Wall! meb-be.”
Don't bodder no wan on de school Unless dey bodder heem, But all de scholar t'ink he 's fool Or walkin' on a dream-- So w'en dey 're closin' on de spring Of course dey 're moche surprise Dat Joe is takin' ev'ry-t'ing Of w'at you call de prize.
[Ill.u.s.tration: ”Don't bodder no wan on de school Unless dey bodder heem.”]
An' den de teacher say, ”Jo-seph, I know you 're workin' hard-- Becos' w'en I am pa.s.s mese'f I see you on de yard A-splittin' wood--no doubt you stay An' study half de night?”
An' Joe he spik de sam' ole way So quiet an' polite, ”Wall! meb-be.”
Hees fader an' hees moder die An' lef' heem dere alone Wit' chil'ren small enough to cry, An' farm all rock an' stone-- But Joe is fader, moder too, An' work bote day an' night An' clear de place--dat 's w'at he do, An' bring dem up all right.
De Cure say, ”Jo-seph, you know Le bon Dieu 's very good-- He feed de small bird on de snow, De caribou on de wood-- But you deserve some credit too-- I spik of dis before.”
So Joe he dunno w'at to do An' only say wance more, ”Wall! meb-be.”
An' Joe he leev' for many year An' helpin' ev'ry wan Upon de parish far an' near Till all hees money 's gone-- An' den de Cure come again Wit' tear-drop on hees eye-- He know for sure poor Joe, hees frien', Is well prepare to die.
”Wall! Joe, de work you done will tell W'en you get up above-- De good G.o.d he will treat you well An' geev' you all hees love.
De poor an' sick down here below, I 'm sure dey 'll not forget,”
An' w'at you t'ink he say, poor Joe, Drawin' hees only breat'?
”Wall! meb-be.”
[Ill.u.s.tration: Border]
Snubbing (Tying-up) the Raft
Las' night dey 're pa.s.sin', de golden plover, Dis mornin' I 'm seein' de bluebird's wing, So if not'ing go wrong, de winter 's over, An' not very long till we got de spring.
An' nex' t'ing de reever she 'll start a-hummin', An' den you 'll hear it, de song an' laugh, Is tellin' de news, de boys are comin'
Home again on de saw-log raf'.
All very well for see dem swingin'
Roun' de beeg islan' dere on de bay, Nice t'ing too, for to hear dem singin', 'Cos it mak' me t'ink of de good ole day.
An' me--I could lissen dem song forever, But it is n't so pleasan' w'en evenin' fall, An' dey 're lookin' for place to stay, an' never Snub de raf' on ma place at all---
Dat 's de fine cove if dey only know it-- Hard to fin' better on St. Maurice, Up de reever or down below it, An' house on de hill only leetle piece.