Classic Poem

A NEGRO SPIRITUAL

I

R ECOMMEMBEH what I's sayin':
Ebery day, at wuck or playin',
I kin heah de sperrits call;
An deir cla'rness do astoun' me,
But de common folks aroun' me
Dey cyant heah de wuds at all.
An' sometimes it am de debble,
Wid his voice way up in treble,
Sort o' trailin' me along;
An' sometimes — I beg yo' pardon —
It's de Angel fum de Gyarden
Jes' a-warnin' me fum wrong.

Chorus:

Oh, listen to yo' Gyarden Angel,
Oh, listen to yo' Gyarden Angel,
Oh, listen to yo' Gyarden Angel,
An' yo' nebber kin go wrong.

II

Now, it's usu'l in de mawnin',
When I feels so spry and scornin',
Dat I disremembers Gord;
An' de ole blue-debble jay-bird
Says, " Come on an' be a gay bird, "
Till he mos'ly gits me floored.
But it's offen to'd de night-time,
Twix' de sun an' candlelight-time,
When de jay-bird's gone to res',
I kin heah de whipporwilliams
Singin' like a hundred millioms
Gyarden angels in de Wes'.

Chorus:

Oh, listen to yo' Gyarden Angel, etc.

III

In de midnight when I's dreamin',
An' I wakes all scyart an' screamin',
'Caze de debble got me, sho,
An' de sperrits tries to ha'nt me,
An' ma troubles tease an' ta'nt me,
An' I cyant go sleep no mo', —
Den I heahs de hahps a-ringin'
Like as all de stahs wuz singin',
An' ma narves gits calm an' sof',
Fer I knows de Heabenly Gyarden
Sends ma Angel down, a-wahdin'
All de ebil sperrits off.

Chorus:

Oh, listen to yo' Gyarden Angel, etc.