Yawcob Strauss and Other Poems/Dot Leedle Loweeza
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.