The Complete Poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar/Keep A Song Up On De Way

by Paul Laurence Dunbar

KEEP A SONG UP ON DE WAY

Oh, de clouds is mighty heavy
An' de rain is mighty thick;
  Keep a song up on de way.
An' de waters is a rumblin'
On de boulders in de crick,
  Keep a song up on de way.
Fu' a bird ercross de road
Is a-singin' lak he knowed
Dat we people did n't daih
Fu' to try de rainy aih
  Wid a song up on de way.

What's de use o' gittin' mopy,
Case de weather ain' de bes'!
  Keep a song up on de way.
W'en de rain is fallin' ha'des',
Dey 's de longes' times to res'
  Keep a song up on de way.
Dough de plough 's a-stan'in' still
Dey 'll be watah fu' de mill,
Rain mus' come ez well ez sun
'Fo' de weathah's wo'k is done,
  Keep a song up on de way.

W'y hit's nice to hyeah de showahs
Fallin' down ermong de trees:
  Keep a song up on de way.
Ef de birds don' bothah 'bout it,
But go singin' lak dey please,
  Keep a song up on de way.
You don' s'pose I's gwine to see
Dem ah fowls do mo' dan me?
No, suh, I 'll des chase dis frown,
An' aldough de rain fall down,
  Keep a song up on de way.