Yawcob Strauss and Other Poems/Dot Leedle Loweeza

by Charles Follen Adams

DOT LEEDLE LOWEEZA.

How dear to dis heart vas mine grandshild Loweeza!

Dot shveet leedle taughter off Yawcob, mine son!

I nefer vas tired to hug und to shqveeze her:

Vhen home I gets back, und der day's vork vas done.

Vhen I vas avay, oh, I know dot she miss me,

For vhen I come homevards she rushes bellmell,

Und poots oup dot shveet leedle mout' for to kiss me—

Her "darling oldt gampa," dot she lofe so vell.

Katrina, mine frau, she could not do mitoudt her,

She vas sooch a gomfort to her, day py day;

Dot shild she make efry von habby aboudt her,

Like sunshine she drife all dheir troubles avay.

She holdt der vool yarn vhile Katrina she vind it,

She pring her dot camfire bottle to shmell;

She fetch me mine pipe, too, vhen I don'd can find it,

Dot plue-eyed Loweeza, dot lofe me so vell.

How shveet, vhen der toils off der veek vas all ofer,

Und Sunday vas come, mit its qviet und rest,

To valk mit dot shild 'mong der daisies und clofer,

Und look off der leedle birds building dheir nest!

Her pright leedle eyes, how dhey shparkle mit pleasure!

Her laugh it rings oudt shust so clear like a bell;

I dink dhere vas nopody haf sooch a treasure

As dot shmall Loweeza, dot lofe me so veil.

Vhen vinter vas come, mit its coldt, shtormy veddher,

Katrina und I ve musd sit in der house,

Und dalk off der bast by der fireside togeddher,

Or blay mit dot taughter off our Yawcob Strauss.

Oldt age, init its wrinkles, pegins to remind us

Ve gannot shtay long mit our shildren to dvell;

But soon ve shall meet mit der poys left pehind us,

Und dot shveet Loweeza, dot lofe us so vell.