Angelina
by Paul Laurence Dunbar
W'EN de fiddle gits to singin' out
a ol' Vahginny reel,
An' you 'mence to feel a ticklin' in
yo' toe an' in yo' heel;
Ef you t'ink you got 'uligion an' you
wants to keep it, too,
You jes' bettah tek a hint an' git
yo'se'f clean out o' view.
Case de time is mighty temptin' w'en
de chune is in de swing,
Fu' a darky, saint or sinner man, to
cut de pigeon-wing.
An' you could n't he'p f'om dancin'
ef yo' feet was boun' wif twine,
W'en Angelina Johnson comes
a-swingin' down de line.
Don't you know Miss Angelina?
She's de da'lin' of de place.
W'y, dey ain't no high-toned lady wif
sich mannahs an' sich grace.
She kin move across de cabin, wif its
planks all rough an' wo';
Jes' de same's ef she was dancin' on
ol' mistus' ball-room flo'.
Fact is, you do' see no cabin--evah-
t'ing you see look gran',
An' dat one ol' squeaky fiddle soun'
to you jes' lak a ban';
Cotton britches look lak broadclof
an' a linsey dress look fine,
W'en Angelina Johnson comes
a-swingin' down de line.
Some folks say dat dancin's sinful,
an' de blessed Lawd, dey say,
Gwine to purnish us fu' steppin' w'en
we hyeah de music play.
But I tell you I don' b'lieve it, fu'
de Lawd is wise and good,
An' he made de banjo's metal an' he
made de fiddle's wood,
An' he made de music in dem, so I
don' quite t'ink he'll keer
Ef our feet keeps time a little to de
melodies we hyeah.
W'y, dey's somep'n' downright holy
in de way our faces shine,
W'en Angelina Johnson comes
a-swingin' down de line.
Angelina step' so gentle, Angelina
bow' so low,
An' she lif' huh sku't so dainty dat
huh shoetop skacely show:
An' dem teef o' huh'n a-shinin', ez
she tek you by de han'--
Go 'way, people, d' ain't anothah sich
a lady in de lan!
W'en she's movin' thoo de figgers
er a-dancin' by huhse'f,
Folks jes' stan' stock-still a-sta'in', an'
dey mos' nigh hol's dey bref;
An' de young mens, dey's a-sayin',
"I's gwine mek dat damsel
mine,"
W'en Angelina Johnson comes
a-swingin' down de line.
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