Eb’ry man what see a tex’
In de trees en stones,
Ain’t bin called ter preach en raise
Life in dead, dry bones.
Dat ole rooster scratchin’ dar
Am a sarmont, sho,
But des kaze I read him right,
I ain’t called, you know.
If you don’t read it, you ain’t
Got de seein’ eyes,
En yo’ heart cain’t see dem things
What would make you wise.
Sho’s de Bible done say dat
Dem what works kin eat,
Dat’s a noble sarmont dar—
One dat cain’t be beat.
When dat rooster scratch fo’ worms
In de lowly groun’,
He’s a sayin’ we mus’ work
Fo’ our bread, I’m boun’;
En when he fin’ food, en call
Till dat hen do run,
He sho mean dat man mus’ work
Fo’ de weakly one.
He don’t shet his knowledge up
In a selfish min’;
When he see de mornin’ break
He tell all mankin’.
Do ter me all dis en mo’,
Dat same rooster teach,
He don’t say dat I’s conspired
By de Lawd ter preach.
Des De Same.
My ole shanty am a fallin’,
En de rain am leakin’ frue,
En de rheumatiz done grip me
Till I don’t know what ter do;
But I thank God fo’ dis frame,
En I happy, des de same.
I cain’t go en jine de singin’,
Lak I did in ole-time days,
At de Calvary Baptis’ Church,
Whar dey sing glad songs ob praise;
But my heart ain’t sick en lame,
En it singin’, des de same.
Mandy say de safe am empty—
We ain’t got no food ter-day!
Say she do’ know whar we git it,
’Thout an angel come dis way;
But I trus’ in Jesus’ name,
En my soul feas’, des de same.
So De Sunshine Stay.
If de rooster crow, dey say,
’Fo’e de clock strike ten,
Atter he done gone ter roos’
In de chicken pen,
Den de weather sho gwine change
’Fo’e dat time nex’ day,
En I don’t care if it do—
So de sunshine stay.
How de rooster know if win’
Am gwine res’ or blow,
Or if clouds gwine hol’ de rain,
Or gwine let it po’,
I cain’t tell, do I live heah
Forty yeahs terday;
But I know my heart am glad
If de sunshine stay.