P ' , c - 3 
 
 
 
 CABIN 
 
 AN D 
 
 : 
 
 
 
 \URENCE DUNBAR 
 
University of California Berkeley 
 
 Purchased from 
 HORACE DAVIS BEQUEST 
 
Poems of 
 Cabin and Field 
 
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 Copyright v i896-i899 
 
 Dodd t Mead 
 & 
 
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 Copyright, 1895-1896 
 
 By The Century Company 
 
 mber0ttg $regs 
 JOHN WILSON AND SON, CAMBRIDGE, U.S.A. 
 

 To 
 
 Bishop Henry C. Potter 
 
 and with him the friends 
 who were kind in my illness 
 

 ; - 
 
 
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 Contents 
 
 The Deserted Plantation Page 9 
 
 Hunting Song 31 
 
 Little Brown Baby . 43 
 
 Chris'mus is a-Comin' 55 
 
 Signs of the Times 67 
 
 Time to Tinker 'Round . 81 
 
 Lullaby '. ' . . . . 93 
 
 A Banjo Song 107 
 
The Deserted Plantation 
 
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Oh, de grubbin'-hoe 's a-rustin' in de co'nah, 
 An' de plow 's a-tumblin' down in de fiel', 
 
 While de whippoVill 'sa-wailin' lak a mou'nah 
 When his stubborn hea't is tryin' ha'd to yieF. 
 
 
 

 
 
In de furrers whah de co'n was allus waving 
 
 Now de weeds is growin' green an' rank an' tall ; 
 An' de swallers round' de whole place is a-bravin' 
 
 j 
 
 Lak dey thought deir folks had allus owned it all 
 
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An' de big house stands all quiet lak an' solemn, 
 Not a blessed soul in pa'lor, po'ch, er lawn ; 
 
 Not a guest, ner not a ca'iage lef to haul 'em, 
 Fu' de ones dat turned de latch-string out air gone* 
 
 
** 
 
 
 Itff I S* 
 
 
 
An' de banjo's voice is silent in de quarters, 
 
 * ~* $flL\^i 
 
 D' ain't a hymn ner co'n-song ringin' in de air ; 
 
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 But de murmur of a branch's passin' waters 
 Is de only soun' dat breks de stillness dere* 
 
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 Whah 's de da'kies, dem dat used to be a-dancin' 
 
 Ev'ry night befo' de ol' cabin do 9 ? 
 Whah 's de chillun, dem dat used to be a-prancin* 
 
 Er a-rollin' in de san' er on de flo' ? 
 
 2J 
 
 
Whah 's ol f Uncle Mordecai an' Uncle Aaron ? 
 
 Whah's Aunt Doshy, Sam, an' Kit, an' all de 
 res'? 
 
 Whah 's ol' Tom de da'ky fiddlah, how 's he farin' ? 
 
 ^s.^1 
 
 Whah 's de gals dat used to sing an' dance de 
 

 Gone ! not one o' dem is leP to tell de story ; 
 
 Dey have leP de deah oP place to fall away 
 Could n 't one o' dem dat seed it in its glory 
 
 Stay to watch it in de hour of decay ? 
 
 25 
 
 

Dey have lef de ol' plantation to de swallers, 
 But it hoPs in me a lover till de las' ; 
 
 Fu' I fin' hyeah in de memory dat follers 
 All dat loved me an' dat I loved in de pas'. 
 
 27 
 
 


 So I '11 stay an' watch de deah ol' place an' tend it 
 
 Ez I used to in de happy days gone by. 
 Twell de othah Mastah thinks it 's time to end it, 
 
Hunting Song 
 
 

 Tek a cool night, good an' cleah, 
 
 Skiff o' snow upon de groun' ; 
 Jes' 'bout fall-time o' de yeah 
 
 Wen de leaves is dry an' brown ; 
 Tek a dog an' tek a axe, 
 
 Tek a lantu'n in yo' han', 
 Step light whah de switches cracks, 
 
 Fu' dey 's huntin' in de Ian'. 
 Down th'oo de valleys an' ovah de hills, 
 
 Into de woods whah de 'simmon-tree grows, 
 Wakin' an' skeerin' de po' whippo' wills, 
 Huntin' fu' coon an' fu' 'possum we goes. 
 
 35 
 
 1 
 
 

 
 i 
 
 
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 Blow dat ho'n dah loud an' strong, 
 Call de dogs an' da'kies neah; 
 Mek its music cleah an' long, 
 
 So de folks at home kin hyeah. 
 Blow it twell de hills an' trees 
 
 Sen's de echoes tumblin' back ; 
 Blow it twell de back'ard breeze 
 
 Tells de folks we 's on de track* 
 Coons is a-ramblin' an' 'possums is out ; 
 
 Look at dat dog ; you could set on his tail ! 
 Watch him now steady, min' what you 's 
 
 about, 
 Bless me, dat animal 's got on de trail! 
 
Listen to him ba'kin' now ! 
 
 Dat means business, sho 's you bo'n; 
 Ef he 's struck de scent I 'low 
 
 Dat ere 'possum 's sholy gone* 
 Knowed dat dog fu' fo'teen yeahs, 
 
 An' I nevah seed him tail 
 Wen he sot dem flappin' eahs 
 An' went off upon a trail 
 Run, Mistah 'Possum, an' run, Mistah Coon, 
 
 No place is safe fu' yo' ramblin' to-night; 
 Mas' gin de lantu'n an' God gin de moon, 
 An' a long hunt gins a good appetite* 
 
 
 

 Look hyeah, folks, you hyeah dat change ? 
 
 Dat ba'k is sharper dan de res'. 
 Dat ere soun' ain't nothin' strange, 
 
 Dat dog 's talked his level bes'* 
 Somep'n' 's treed, I know de soun'. 
 
 Dah now, wha 'd I tell you ? see ! 
 Dat ere dog done run him down ; 
 
 Come hyeah, he'p cut down dis tree* 
 Ah, Mistah Tossum, we got you at las' 
 
 Need n't play daid, laying dah on de groun' ; 
 Pros' an' de 'simmons has made you grow fas', 
 Won't he be fine when he 's roasted up brown ! 
 
 
 
 
Little Brown Baby 
 

 
 Little brown baby wif spa'klin' eyes, 
 
 Come to yo' pappy an' set on his knee* 
 What you been doin', suh makin' san' pies ? 
 
 Look at dat bib you 's ez du'ty ez me. 
 Look at dat mouf dat 's merlasses, I bet ; 
 
 Come hyeah, Maria, an' wipe off his han's. 
 Bees gwine to ketch you an' eat you up yit, 
 
 Bein' so sticky an' sweet goodness lan's ! 
 
 47 
 
 
 
Little brown baby wif spa'klin' eyes, 
 
 Who 's pappy's darlin' an' who 's pappy's chile ? 
 Who is it all de day nevah once tries 
 
 Ft/ to be cross, er once loses dat smile ? 
 Whah did you git dem teef ? My, you 's a scamp ! 
 
 Whah did dat dimple come Pom in yo' chin? 
 Pappy do' know yo I b'lieves you 's a tramp ; 
 
 Mammy, dis hyeah 's some ol' straggler got in ! 
 
 49 
 
sit 
 
Let 's th'ow him outen de do 9 in de san', 
 
 We do' want stragglers a-layin' 'roun' hyeah 
 Let 's gin him Vay to de big buggah-man ; 
 
 I know he 's hidin' erroun' hyeah right neah. 
 Buggah-man t buggah-man t come in de do', 
 
 Hyeah's a bad boy you kin have fu' to eat. 
 Mammy an' pappy do' want him no mo' t 
 
 Swaller him down f 'om his haid to his feet ! 
 
 
 
 
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 Dah, now, I thought dat you'd hug me up close. 
 
 Go back, ol' buggah, you shan't have dis boy. 
 He ain't no tramp, ner no straggler, of co'se ; 
 
 He 's pappy's pa'dner an' playmate an' joy. 
 Come to you' pallet now go to yo' res' ; 
 
 Wisht you could allus know ease an' cleah skies; 
 Wisht you could stay jes' a chile on my breas' 
 
 Little brown baby wif spa'klin' eyes ! 
 
 *S , " 
 
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Chris'mus is a-Comin' 
 

 
 Bones a-gittin' achy, 
 Back a-feelin' col', 
 Han's a-growin' shaky, 
 Jes' lak I was ol'. 
 Pros' erpon de meddah 
 Lookin' mighty white ; 
 Snowdraps lak a feddah 
 Slippin' down at night* 
 Jes' keep things a-hummin' 
 Spite o' fros^ an' showahs, 
 Chris'mus is a-comin' 
 An' all de week is ouahs. 
 
 
 59 
 
 

 Little mas' a-axin', 
 "Who is Santy Glaus? 
 Meks it kin' o' taxin' 
 Not to brek de laws. 
 Chillun's pow'ful tryin' 
 To a pusson's grace 
 Wen dey go a-pryin' 
 Right on th'oo you' face 
 Down ermong yo' feelin's ; 
 Jes' 'pears lafc dat you 
 Got to change you' dealin's, 
 So 's to tell 'em true. 
 
 
An 9 my pickaninny 
 Dreamin' in his sleep ! 
 Come hyeah, Mammy Jinny , 
 Come an' tek a peep. 
 Or Mas' Bob an' Missis 
 In dey house up daih 
 Got no chile lak dis is, 
 D' ain't none anywhaih. 
 Sleep, my little lammy, 
 Sleep, you little limb, 
 He do' know whut mammy 
 Done saved up fu' him* 
 

 
 
 Dey '11 be banjo picking 
 Dancin' all night th'oo. 
 Dey 11 be lots o' chicken, 
 Plenty tu'ky, too* 
 Drams to wet yo' whistles 
 So 's to drive out chills* 
 Whut I keer fu' drizzles 
 Fallin' on de hills? 
 Jes^ keep t'ings a-hummin' 
 Spite o^ col' an' showahs t 
 Chris'mus day 's a-comin', 
 An' all de week is ouahs* 
 
Signs of the Times 
 
Air a-gittin' cool an* coolah, 
 Frost a-comin' in de night, 
 
 Hicka' nuts an' walnuts fallin', 
 'Possum keepin' out o' sight. 
 
 Tu'key struttin' in the ba'nya'd, 
 Nary step so proud ez his ; 
 
 Keep on strutting Mistah Tu'key, 
 Yo' do' know whut time it is. 
 
 7J 
 


 
 Cidah press commence a-squeakin/ 
 Eatin' apples sto'ed away, 
 
 Chillun swa'min' 'roun' lak hornets, 
 Huntin' aigs ermung de hay. 
 
 Mistah TVkey keep on gobblin' 
 At de geese a-flyin' souf t 
 
 Oomph! dat bird do' know whut's 
 comin' ; 
 
 Ef he did he 'd shet his mouf, 
 
 73 
 

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 Pum'kin gittin' good an' yallah 
 
 Mek me open up my eyes ; 
 Seems lak it 's a-lookin' at me 
 
 Jes' a-la'in' dah sayin' Pies/' B^ 
 
 Tu'key gobbler gwine 'roun' blowin', 
 
 Gwine 'roun' gibbin' sass an' slack; 
 Keep on talkin', Mistah Tu'key, 
 
 lilO/AY P 
 
 You ain't seed no almanac 
 
 no almanac. 
 
 75 
 
 
Fa'mer walkin' th'oo de ba'nya'd 
 
 Seein' how things is comin' on, 
 Sees ef all de fowls is fatt'nin' 
 
 Good times comin* sho 's you bo'n. 
 Hyeahs dat turkey gobbler bragging 
 
 Den his face break in a smile 
 Nebbah min', you sassy rascal, 
 
 He 's gwine nab you atter while* 
 
 77 
 

 Choppin' suet in de kitchen, 
 Stonin' raisins in de hall, 
 
 Beef a-cookin' fu' de mince meat, 
 Spices groun' I smell 'em all. 
 Look hyeah, TVkey, stop dat gob- 
 
 m 
 
 
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 You ain' luned de sense ob feah, 
 You ol' fool, yo' naik 's in dangah, 
 
 ' you know Thanksgibbin 's 
 hyeah ? 
 
 79 
 
Time to Tinker 'Roun' 
 
. 
 
 Summah 's nice, wif sun a-shinin', 
 
 Spring is good wif greens and grass, 
 An' dey 's some t'ings nice 'bout win- 
 tah, 
 
 Dough hit brings de f reezin' bias' ; 
 But de time dat is de fines', 
 
 Whethah fiel's is green er brown, 
 Is w'en de rain 's a-po'in' 
 
 An' dey 's time to tinker 'roun'. 
 
 85 
 
Den you men's de mule's ol' ha'ness, 
 men's de broken chair* 
 
Oh, dey 's fun inside de co'n-crib, 
 
 An' dey's laffin' at de ba'n; 
 An' dey 's allus some one jokin', 
 
 Er some one to tell a ya'n. 
 Dah f s a quiet in yo' cabin, 
 
 Only fu' de rain's sof soun'; 
 So you 's mighty blessed happy 
 
 Wen dey's time to tinker 'roun'I 
 

 Lullaby 
 
 

 
 You been bad de livelong day, 
 
 Po' little lamb. 
 Th'owin' stones an' runnin' 'way, 
 
 Po' little lamb. 
 
 My, but you 's a-runnin' wil', 
 Look jes' lak some po' folks chile ; 
 Mam' gwine whup you atter while, 
 
 Po' little lamb. 
 
 99 
 
Mammy do' fcno\ 
 Ef de chillun's all lak 
 You f s a caution now 
 
Y'ought to have a right good 
 
 Po' little lamb. 
 You been runnin* roun' \ 
 
A Banjo Song 
 
 J07 
 
Oh, dere 's lots o' keer an' trouble 
 
 In dis world to swaller down ; 
 An' ol' Sorrer 's purty lively 
 
 In her way o' gittin' roun'* 
 Yet dere 's time when I f urgit 'em, - 
 
 Aches an' pains an' troubles all, 
 An' it 's when I tek at ebenin' 
 
 My ol' banjo f'om de wall* 
 111 
 
 
An' above de shady hilltops 
 
 I kin see de settin' sun ; 
 When de auiet. restful shadders 
 
Den my fam'ly gadders roun' me 
 
 In de fadin* o' de light, 
 Ez I strike de strings to try 'em 
 
 Ef dey all is tuned er-right. 
 An' it seems we 're so nigh heaben 
 
 We kin hyeah de angels sing 
 When de music o' dat banjo 
 
 Sets my cabin all er-ring. 
 H5 
 

An' my wife an' all de othahs, 
 
 Male an' female, small an' bi$ 
 Even up to gray-haired granny, 
 
 Twell I change de style o' music 
 
 Change de movement an' d 
 An' de ringin' little banjo 
 
 n ol' hea't-feelin' hii 
 

 

 % 
 
 M&3^^^^2i 
 
 An' somehow my th'oat gits choky, 
 
 An' a lump keeps tryin' to rise 
 Lak it wan'ed to ketch de water 
 
 Dat was flowin' to my eyes ; 
 An' I feel dat I could sorter 
 
 Knock de socks clean off o' sin 
 Ez I hyeah my po' ol' granny 
 
 Wif huh tremblin' voice jine in. 
 
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 VfSBSJB 
 
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 Den we all th'ow in our voices 
 Fu' to he'p de chune out too, 
 
 Lak a big camp-meetin' choiry 
 Tryin' to sing a mou'nah th'oo. 
 
 An' our th'oats let out de music, 
 
 Sweet an' solemn, loud an' free, 
 _, r n i e 1 1 
 
 Twell de rattans o my cabin 
 
 Echo wif de melody* 
 
 \2\ 
 
 1 
 

Oh, de music o' de banjo, 
 
 Quick an' deb'lish, solemn, slow, 
 Is de greates' joy an' solace 
 
 Dat a weary slave kin know ! 
 So jes' let me hyeah it ringing 
 
 Dough de chune be po' an' rough, 
 It 's a pleasure ; an' de pleasures 
 
 O' dis life is few enough* 
 
 123 
 
 x-^S ^ iW 
 
 
blessed 
 heaben, 
 nothin' 
 
 Now I think heaben t d be mo' homelike 
 

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