Lyrics of Sunshine and Shadow/The Old Cabin

by Paul Laurence Dunbar

Layout 2

THE OLD CABIN

IN de dead of night I sometimes,
 Git to t'inkin' of de pas'
An' de days w'en slavery helt me
 In my mis'ry—ha'd an' fas'.
Dough de time was mighty tryin',
 In dese houahs somehow hit seem
Dat a brightah light come slippin'
 Thoo de kivahs of my dream.

An' my min' fu'gits de whuppins
 Draps de feah o' block an' lash
An' flies straight to somep'n' joyful
 In a secon's lightnin' flash.
Den hit seems I see a vision
 Of a dearah long ago
Of de childern tumblin' roun' me
 By my rough ol' cabin do'.

Talk about yo' go'geous mansions
 An' yo' big house great an' gran',
Des bring up de fines' palace
 Dat you know in all de lan'.
But dey's somep'n' dearah to me,
 Somep'n' faihah to my eyes
In dat cabin, less you bring me
 To yo' mansion in de skies.

I kin see de light a-shinin'
 Thoo de chinks atween de logs,
I kin hyeah de way-off bayin'
 Of my mastah's huntin' dogs,
An' de neighin' of de hosses
 Stampin' on de ol' bahn flo',
But above dese soun's de laughin'
 At my deah ol' cabin do'.

We would gethah daih at evenin',
 All my frien's 'ud come erroun'
An' hit wan't no time, twell, bless you,
 You could hyeah de banjo's soun'.
You could see de dahkies dancin'
 Pigeon wing an' heel an' toe,—
Joyous times I tell you people
 Roun' dat same ol' cabin do'.

But at times my t'oughts gits saddah,
 Ez I riccolec' de folks,
An' dey frolickin' an' talkin'
 Wid dey laughin' an' dey jokes.
An' hit hu'ts me w'en I membahs
 Dat I'll nevah see no mo'
Dem ah faces gethered smilin'
 Roun' dat po' ol' cabin do'.