BLESSING THE DANCE

(From "Christmas-Night in the Quarters")

0 Mahsr! let dis gath'rin fin' a blessin' in yo' sight!

Don't jedge us hard fur what we does-yo' know it's Chrismus­ night;

An' all de balunce ob de yeah we does as right's we kin.

Ef dancin's wrong, 0 Mahsr! let de time excuse de sin!

We labors in de vin'ya'd, wukin' hard an' wukin' true;

 Now, shorely yo' won't notus, ef we eats a grape or two,

 An' takes a leetle holiday,-a leetle restin'-spell,­

Bekase, nex' week, we'll start in fresh, an' labor twicet as well.

Remember, Mahsr,-min' dis now,-de sinfulness ob sin

 Is 'pendin' 'pon de sperrit what we goes an' does it in;

An' in arighchis frame ob min' we's gwine to dance an' sing,

Meelin' like King David, when he cut de pigeon-wing.

  

It seems to me-indeed it do-I mebbe mout be wrong­

Dat people raly ought to dance, when Chrismus comes along;

 Des dance bekase dey's happy-like de birds hops in de trees,

 De pine-top fiddle soundin' to de bowin' ob de breeze.

We has no ark to dance afore, like Isrul's prophet king; 

We has no harp to soun' de chords, to holp us out to sing; 

But 'cordin' to de gif's we has we does de bes' we knows, 

An' folks don't 'spise de vi' let-flower bekase it ain't de rose.

Yes, bless us, please, Sah, eben ef we's doin' wrong tonight;

 Kase den we'll need de blessin' more'n ef we's do in' right; 

An' let de blessin's stay wid us, untel we comes to die, 

An' goes to keep our Chrismus wid dem sheriffs in de sky!

Yes, tell dem preshis anguls we's a-gwine to jine 'em soon: 

Our voices we's a-train in' fur to sing de glory tune;

We's ready when you wants us, an' it ain't no matter when. 

0 Mahsr!call yo' chillen soon, an' take 'em home! Amen.