Seen my lady home las' night,

    Jump back, honey, jump back.

Hel' huh han' an' sque'z it tight,

    Jump back, honey, jump back.

Hyeahd huh sigh a little sigh,

Seen a light gleam f'om huh eye,

An' a smile go flittin' by--

    Jump back, honey, jump back.



Hyeahd de win' blow thoo de pine,

    Jump back, honey, jump back,

Mockin'-bird was singin' fine,

    Jump back, honey, jump back.

An' my hea't was beatin' so,

When I reached my lady's do',

Dat I couldn't ba' to go--

    Jump back, honey, jump back.



Put my ahm aroun' huh wais',

    Jump back, honey, jump back.

Raised huh lips an' took a tase,

    Jump back, honey, jump back.

Love me, honey, love me true?

Love me well ez I love you?

An' she answe'd, "'Cose I do"--

    Jump back, honey, jump back.

From Selected Poems by Paul Laurence Dunbar, edited by Herbert Woodward Martin. Reprinted courtesy of Penguin Classics.