The Habitant and Other French-Canadian Poems | Page 3

purty soon lef' her,?W'y ev'ryt'ing's crazee all over de place!
An' down on de reever de wil' duck is quackin'?Along by de shore leetle san'piper ronne--?De bullfrog he's gr-rompin' an' dor�� is jompin'?Dey all got deir own way for mak' it de fonne.
But spring's in beeg hurry, an' don't stay long wit' us?An' firs' t'ing we know, she go off till nex' year,?Den bee commence hummin', for summer is comin'?An' purty soon corn's gettin' ripe on de ear.
Dat's very nice tam for wake up on de morning?An' lissen de rossignol sing ev'ry place,?Feel sout' win' a-blowin' see clover a-growin'?An' all de worl' laughin' itself on de face.
Mos' ev'ry day raf' it is pass on de rapide?De voyageurs singin' some ole chanson?'Bout girl down de reever--too bad dey mus' leave her,?But comin' back soon' wit' beaucoup d'argent.
An' den w'en de fall an' de winter come roun' us?An' bird of de summer is all fly away,?W'en mebbe she's snowin' an' nort' win' is blowin'?An' night is mos' t'ree tam so long as de day.
You t'ink it was bodder de habitant farmer??Not at all--he is happy an' feel satisfy,?An' cole may las' good w'ile, so long as de wood-pile?Is ready for burn on de stove by an' bye.
W'en I got plaintee hay put away on de stable?So de sheep an' de cow, dey got no chance to freeze,?An' de hen all togedder--I don't min' de wedder--?De nort' win' may blow jus' so moche as she please.
An' some cole winter night how I wish you can see us,?W'en I smoke on de pipe, an' de ole woman sew?By de stove of T'ree Reever--ma wife's fader geev her?On day we get marry, dat's long tam ago--
De boy an' de girl, dey was readin' it's lesson,?De cat on de corner she's bite heem de pup,?Ole "Carleau" he's snorin' an' beeg stove is roarin'?So loud dat I'm scare purty soon she bus' up.
Philomene--dat's de oldes'--is sit on de winder?An' kip jus' so quiet lak wan leetle mouse,?She say de more finer moon never was shiner--?Very fonny, for moon isn't dat side de house.
But purty soon den, we hear foot on de outside,?An' some wan is place it hees han' on de latch,?Dat's Isidore Goulay, las' fall on de Brul��?He's tak' it firs' prize on de grand ploughin' match.
Ha! ha! Philomene!--dat was smart trick you play us?Come help de young feller tak' snow from hees neck,?Dere's not'ing for hinder you come off de winder?W'en moon you was look for is come, I expec'--
Isidore, he is tole us de news on de parish?'Bout hees Lajeunesse Colt--travel two forty, sure,?'Bout Jeremie Choquette, come back from Woonsocket?An' t'ree new leetle twin on Madame Vaillancour'.
But nine o'clock strike, an' de chil'ren is sleepy,?Mese'f an' ole woman can't stay up no more?So alone by de fire--'cos dey say dey ain't tire--?We lef' Philomene an' de young Isidore.
I s'pose dey be talkin' beeg lot on de kitchen?'Bout all de nice moon dey was see on de sky,?For Philomene's takin' long tam get awaken?Nex' day, she's so sleepy on bote of de eye.
Dat's wan of dem ting's, ev'ry tam on de fashion,?An' 'bout nices' t'ing dat was never be seen.?Got not'ing for say me--I spark it sam' way me?W'en I go see de moder ma girl Philomene.
We leev very quiet 'way back on de contree?Don't put on sam style lak de big village,?W'en we don't get de monee you t'ink dat is fonny?An' mak' plaintee sport on de Bottes Sauvages.
But I tole you--dat's true--I don't go on de city?If you geev de fine house an' beaucoup d'argent--?I rader be stay me, an' spen' de las' day me?On farm by de rapide dat's call Cheval Blanc.
THE WRECK OF THE "JULIE PLANTE."
A LEGEND OF LAC-ST. PIERRE.
On wan dark night on Lac St. Pierre,?De win' she blow, blow, blow,?An' de crew of de wood scow "Julie Plante"?Got scar't an' run below--?For de win' she blow lak hurricane?Bimeby she blow some more,?An' de scow bus' up on Lac St. Pierre?Wan arpent from de shore.
De captinne walk on de fronte deck,?An' walk de hin' deck too--?He call de crew from up de hole?He call de cook also.?De cook she's name was Rosie,?She come from Montreal,?Was chambre maid on lumber barge,?On de Grande Lachine Canal.
De win' she blow from nor'-eas'-wes,'--?De sout' win' she blow too,?W'en Rosie cry "Mon cher captinne,?Mon cher, w'at I shall do?"?Den de Captinne t'row de big ankerre,?But still the scow she dreef,?De crew he can't pass on de shore,?Becos' he los' hees skeef.
De night was dark lak' wan black cat,?De wave run high an' fas',?W'en de captinne tak' de Rosie girl?An' tie her to de mas'.?Den he also tak' de life preserve,?An' jomp off on de lak',?An' say, "Good-bye, ma Rosie dear,?I go drown for your sak'."
Nex' morning very early?'Bout ha'f-pas' two--t'ree--four--?De captinne--scow--an' de poor Rosie?Was corpses on