Claude McKay

“ In de dim light I lay thinkin’
⁠How dat sad night was our last,
My lone spirit weakly sinkin’
⁠’Neat’ de mem’ries o’ de past:
As I thought in deepest sorrow,
⁠He came,—sat do’n by my side,
Speakin’ o’ de dreaded morrow
⁠An’ de flow o’ life’s dark tide. ”

“ Now I grope in de pitchy dark night,
Hate de day when me poo’ life began.
To de loved country life I’ll return,
I don’t mind at all, Sir, if you smile;
As a peasant my livin’ I’ll earn,
An’ a labourer’s life is worth while. ”

“ I’ll flee from de grief an’ turmoil;
I’ll leave it, though flow’rs here should line my path yet,
An’ come back to you an’ de soil.
For ’tis hatred without an’ ’tis hatred within,
An’ how can I live ’douten heart? ”

“ Leavin’ me ’lone to de Depôt’s black strife,
Dear little comrade o’ lecture an’ drill,
Loved comrade, like me of true stubborn will:
Oft, in de light o’ de fast sinkin’ sun,
We’d frolic togeder aroun’ de big gun;
Oft would he laughingly run after me,
Chasin’ me over de wide Depôt lea;
Oft would he teach me de folly o’ pride
When, me half-vexed, he would sit by my side;—
Now all is blackness t’rough night an’ t’rough day,
For my heart’s weary now Bennie’s away.
↑ the river at Spanish Town. ↑ we slowly strolled. ↑ The reference is to “Whe’ fe do?” ”

“ Dreamed soon o’ life’s broken ledder
⁠An’ de wul’s perplexin’ fight,
Of de many souls a-weepin’
⁠Burdened do’n wid care an’ strife,
While we sweetly lay a-sleepin’,
⁠Yet would grumble ’bout our life. ”

“ Why you won’t keep do’n you’ han’?
“Shet you’ mout’! A wan’ no chat!
Fabour say you pick up nong, [1]
Sence you nyamin’ Depôt fat
An’ ’top sleep ’pon so-so mat,
But A mean fe pull you’ tongue. [2]
“Wonder when unno wi’ fit
Fe move up in-a fus’ squad,
Use carbine an’ bayonet!
Wait dough,––unno wi’ larn yet,––
Me wi’ drill you ti’ you mad.”
↑ It seems you are getting “beany” now. ↑ so that you can’t talk. ”

“ When you want meet a surprise,
Tek de Papine track;
Dere some things will meet you’ eyes
Mek you tu’n you’ back:
When you want to see mankind
Of “class” family
In a way degra’ them mind,
Go ’p deh, you will see. ”

“ Dat would fingle up me jaw
When de fever burned so deep,
An’ A couldn’ get no sleep?
Where’s de voice me love’ to hear
Whisp’rin’ sweetest words o’ cheer?—
Voice dat taught me A B C
As me leaned ’pon mumma’s knee. ”

“ An’ will let me somet’ing ask
Which may soften you to me:
In de middle o’ de night,
When de blackness lies do’n deep,
Who protects your homes an’ stores
While de Island is asleep?
When de dead stars cannot shine
Sake o’ rain an’ cloud an’ storm,
Who keeps watch out in de street
So dat not’in’ comes to harm?
Ah! you turn away your head!
See! dere’s pity in your face!
Don’t, dear madam, bring on me
This unmerited disgrace.
↑ A fund out of which rewards are given to constables for meritorious work. ”

“ Come from de noise, de wild alarm,
To heights o’ mountain peace an’ calm.
Do you not hear de battle’s roar,
De tumult ragin’ on de shore?
Do you not see de poisonous bait
Man sets for man t’rough deadly hate? ”

“ Don’t cringe an’ fawn ’fore richer men,
Deir pelf’s not wort’ a tittle.
My pay is small, an’ yet I live
An’ feel proud as a lord too;
Ef you’ll be men you soon will find
How much it can reward you. ”

“ An’ show me how a poo’ weak gal
Can lib good life in dis ya wul’.
↑ The prisons must want occupants, and that is why they are down upon us like angry bulls. ↑ The mind of the chief of the town police is never happy, except, etc. ”

“ Fe revenge de quantity o’ poor poor people you play out.
“Jes’ becausen say dem poo’ so, an’ t’rough poverty dem mus’
Tek a couple o’ t’ings from you dat you’re trick enough fe trus’,
You robbin’ dem so badly; [1] but A sorry fe you dough,
How we boys beneat’ de big-tree really mean fe mek you know.”
Then I roared, I roared with laughter, although posted on my beat,
Till I half forgot de sore pain in me bosom an’ my feet:
Ah! I wish I knew a little, jes’ a little of de joy
Dat Nature has bestowed on you, my whoppin’ big-tree boy. ”

“ Should know a little lastin’ peace,
Should taste endurin’ happiness.
De harmless tabby o’ de house
Plays kindly wid de frightened mouse,
Till, when it nearly loses dread,
Good Lard! de little thing is dead. ”

“ Thus “man dem” = men; “beas’ dem” = beasts.
dem : them, their, they. “All dem boys, etc.” = All them (those) boys with eboe-lights (eboe-light sticks) , they are waiting there for me.
den : then.
dere : there.
dey : they; “dey do” = they have; “dey’d come” = they had come = they came. ”

“ When you want see gals look fine,
You mus’ go up dere,
An’ you’ll see them drinkin’ wine
An’ all sorts o’ beer:
There you’ll see them walkin’ out,
Each wid a young man,
Watch them strollin’ all about,
Flirtin’ all dem can. ”

“ Wid more tender min’ an’ better sort o’ soul.
So de day shall soon arrive when de two o’ we shall drive
To de parish church at Half Way Tree:
An’ we’ll stroll back t’rough de gate, me Sal a corpy’s mate,
An’ we’ll be as happy-happy as can be. ”

“ Pronounce the con as in condor.
corpy : corporal.
’cos : because.
cotch : stand still or lie, and refuse to move. Cotch donkey = a cotching donkey. “Him always cotch” = he always cotches.
couldan : could. ”

“ God knows wha mek you won’ dead!
Doctor no know how fe do,
Else dem wouldan p’ison you.
An’ me know man dyin’ out,
Yet de doctor dem would doubt,
Dough he’s weak in ebery limb,
Dat a t’ing was wrong wid him. ”

“ E
eber : ever.
ebery : every.
eboe-light dem : sticks made of eboe-light or torch-wood.
ef : if.
ef she gwin’ go lef’ we : if she is going to (go and) leave us.
Ef you ’low, etc. : If you allow the sun to get hot, grass-lice (small ticks) will surely “make you know” (punish you) . ”

“ But I tell you what, it cheers me
⁠When de nights are extra dark.
So, dear comrades, don’t ill-treat him,
⁠You won’t mek me talk in vain;
’Member, when de hours are dreary,
⁠He’s de poor dog-driver’s frien’.
Treat dem kindly, etc.
↑ This is a trick of the dogs when they want to leave their master’s yard. They set up a great barking about 11 p.m., as if they were on the alert, and soon after they are all gone. ”

“ Force me now to say good-bye;
⁠Jes’ lee bit o’ while
⁠I must leave your smile.
⁠Foamin’ Sukee River,
⁠Dearer now dan ever,
I’ll ne’er roam from you again
To a life o’ so-so pain,
⁠Crystal flowin’ river,
⁠Dearer now dan ever.
↑ A river in Clarendon. Pronounce Sooky, with oo as in look. ”

“ We didn’ mek de S.M. see ’m,
But only put things ’traight fe him.
An’ we, like big fools, be’n deh fret
Ober de corpy drunk to deat’:
We all treat him so very kin’,
Aldough him ha’ such dutty min’. ”

“ At de Knutsford Park big races.
Soldier ban’, formed in a ring,
Strike up “God save our king”;
Gub’nor come now by God’s grace
To de Knutsford Park big race:
High faces among low faces
At de Knutsford Park big races. ”

“ Wid our carbines slung about we,
An’ our glad hearts like de air free.
We drank a draught from a pure brook
Dat came windin’ roun’ a lee nook;
Then homeward turned from de cool spring,
Wid our good S. M. commanding. ”

“ Kue, jackass, git up!
’Tan’ up ’pon you’ foot!
Dis ya load no load,
You’s a lazy brut’.
Me no know wha’ mek
Pa won’ swop you too;
For dere’s not a t’ing
Wut while you can do.
Ef you car’ no load,
It is all de same ”

“ An’ den de day’s fire-practice is done.
Pam-pa-pam, pam-pa-pam, pam-pa-pam,
Hea’ de fire-bugle blow!
Pam-pa-pam, pam-pa-pam, pam-pa-pam,
Depôt boys, tu’n do’n below!
Note.—The first and last stanzas go to the following tune in F, two-four time: 1st bar; crotchet rest, quaver rest, 2 semiquavers C third space. 2nd bar; quaver C, 2 semiquavers A (the 3rd below) , 2 semiquavers F (3rd below again) . 3rd bar; crotchet F, quaver rest, 2 semiquavers C (middle C) . 4th bar; 2 semiquavers F, 2 semiquavers middle C, crotchet F. 5th bar; same as 1st; 6th, same as 2nd; 7th, same as 3rd. 8th bar ”

“ Who will trus’ a póliceman!
Dem wi’ ondly try fe rob
All de good you mighta hab;
An’ ’fo’ you can count de cost,
You wi’ find you’se’f lost, lost.
Will you leave me, heartless Dan,
For a risky to’n woman? ”

“ S.M. : Sergeant Major.
snappy: ill-tempered.
so : such.
so-so : only; nothing but; bare.
soun’ : sound.
sport : sporting character.
’spose : I suppose.
stan’ : stand.
swea’ : swear.
sweet me : give me pleasure.
Syrian-boy : negro working for a Syrian pedlar.
T
talk, wi’ sure : my eboe-light will surely talk,—i.e., teach you a lesson by means of the drubbing it will give you. ”

“ Jes’ fe mek de brukfus’ nice.”
See de waitin’ midnight girl
Wid her saucy cock-up lips,
An’ her strongly-built black hands
Pressed against her rounded hips:
She has passed de bound’ry line,
An’ her womanhood is sold ”