202 



THE SUNRISE SERENADE. 



"Ah walk out when de eas' am red 



Among de timbehs tall; 

 Ah heah a mockeh oberhead, 



De sweetest froat ob all. 

 'Why do yo' sing?' Ah stop en ask, 



En den Ah heah her say; 

 * Dis am mah daily sunup task, 



A sahanade to Day.' 



" Songs ob sunrise joy when de darkness fades away, 

 De mockeh in de treetop sing a welcum song to Day. 



" Ah brush among de meddeh lan's 



Wheh yelleh-jackets hum; 

 Ah look up wheh det dogwood spans. 



En heah det solemn drum. 

 Oh. Misteh Gol' Wing, why yo' drum 



Up yandah in de tree? 

 ' Ah drum jes' kase de day hab cum,' 



Is how he answeh me. 



"Drum! drum! drum! Yo' see his movin' haid, 



De peckeh drum a welcum when de eas" am fiah red. 



" Ah thrash among de bramble vines, 



A-brushin' off de dew; 

 A jaybird callin' fum de pines, 



A catbird chimes in, too, 

 'What's all dis racket fum yo' two?' 



En den Ah heah dem say: 

 ' We's callin' kase de sun am new, 



En de night hab gone away.' 



" De jaybird en de catbird, dey call en welcum day, 



Dey's happy when de sun cum up en bathe with sumac spray, 



" En all aroun' de timbeh Ian' 



Deh watch foh cummin' day; 

 En Night she shake Mis' Mawnin's han,' 



En den she fade away. 

 Den ebehy songsteh break de hush, 



De hummin' bird he hum; 

 Mis' Quail she wistle in de brush, 



De gol' wing peckeh drum. 



" En all bus' out in melody det echo fro' de haze. 



When de sun he smile in crimson en de dewdrops tuhn a-blaze." 



— Victor A. Hermann, in The Chicago Daily News. 



