To Bennie (In Answer to a Letter)
You say, dearest comrade, my love has grown cold,
But you are mistaken, it burns as of old;
And no power below, dearest lad, nor above,
Can ever lessen, frien’ Bennie, my love.
Could you but look in my eyes, you would see
That ’tis a wrong thought you have about me;
Could you but feel my hand laid on your head,
Never again would you say what you’ve said.
Naught, o my Bennie, our friendship can sever,
Dearly I love you, shall love you for ever;
Moment by moment my thoughts are of you,
Trust me, oh, trust me, for aye to be true.
Hopping off the Tram
It would not stop,
So I took a hop,
An’, Lard oh, my foot a miss![1]
It sent me do’n
Slam on de groun’,
An’ I had a dusty kiss.
The car went ’long
With its hummin’ song,
An’ I too went my way;
But the sudden fall I did recall,
And shall for many a day.
To a Comrade
Little comrade, never min’
Though another is unkin’;
“Of de pain o’ dis ya wul’
We must suck we bellyful.”[1]
Little comrade, moan not so,
Oh, you fill my heart with woe!
Sad I listen to your cries,
Can’t you ope your burnin’ eyes?
Little comrade, though ’tis hot,[2]
Say you will revenge him not:[3]
Talk not thus, you mek me grieve,
Promise me you will forgive.
Little comrade, never min’
Though a brother is unkin’;
Treat him kindest as you can,
Show yourself the better man
Jubba[1]
My Jubba waiting dere fe me;
Me, knowin’, went out on de spree,
An’ she, she wait deh till midnight,
Bleach-bleachin’ in de cold moonlight:
An’ when at last I did go home
I found out dat she had just come,
An’ now she tu’n her back away,
An’ won’t listen a wud I say.
Forgive me, Jubba, Jubba dear,
As you are standing, standing there,
An’ I will no more mek you grieve,
My Jubba, ef you’ll but forgive.
I’ll go to no more dancing booth,
I’ll play no more wid flirty Ruth,
I didn’ mean a t’ing, Jubba,
I didn’ know you’d bex fe da’;
I only took two set o’ dance
An’ at de bidding[2] tried me chance;
I buy de big crown-bread fe you,
An’ won’t you tek it, Jubba?—do.
Forgive me, Jubba, Jubba dear, etc.
It was a nice tea-meeting though,
None o’ de boy dem wasn’ slow,
An’ it was pack’ wid pretty gal,
So de young man was in dem sall;[3]
But when I ’member you a yard[4]
I know dat you would t’ink it hard,
Aldough, Jubba, ’twas sake o’ spite
Mek say you wouldn’ come te-night.[5]
Forgive me, Jubba, Jubba dear, etc.
l Ief’ you, Jub, in such a state,
I neber knew dat you would wait i
Yet all de while I couldn’ res’,
De t’ought o’ you was in me breas’;
So nummo time I couldn’ was’e,
But me go get me pillow-case[6]
An’ put in deh you bread an’ cake
Forgive me, Jubba, fe God sake!
Forgive me, Jubba, Jubba dear, etc.