Yawcob Strauss and Other Poems/Der Oak Und Der Vine


 * I Don'd vas preaching voman's righdts,
 * Or anyding like dot,
 * Und I likes to see all beoples
 * Shust gondented mit dheir lot;
 * Budt I vants to gondradict dot shap
 * Dot made dis leedle shoke:
 * "A voman vas der glinging vine,
 * Und man der shturdy oak."




 * Berhaps, somedimes, dot may be drue,
 * Budt, den dimes oudt off nine,
 * I find me oudt dot man himself
 * Vas been der glinging vine;
 * Und vhen hees friendts dhey all vas gone,
 * Und he vas shust "tead proke,"
 * Dot's vhen der voman shteps righdt in,
 * Und been der shturdy oak.




 * Shust go oup to der paseball groundta
 * Und see dhose " shturdy oaks"
 * All planted roundt ubon der seats—
 * Shust hear dheir laughs und shokes!
 * Dhen see dhose vomens at der tubs,
 * Mit glothes oudt on der lines:
 * Vhich vas der shturdy oaks, mine frendts,
 * Und vhich der glinging vines?


 * Vhen Sickness in der householdt comes,
 * Und veeks und veeks he shtays,
 * Who vas id fighdts him mitoudt resdt,
 * Dhose veary nighdts und days?
 * Who beace und gomfort alvaya prings,
 * Und cools dot fefered prow?
 * More like id vas der tender vine
 * Dot oak he glings to now.




 * "Man vants budt leedle here pelow,"
 * Der boet von time said;
 * Dhere's leedle dot man he don'd vant,
 * I dink id means, inshted;
 * Uud vhen der years keep rolling on,
 * Dheir cares und droubles pringing,
 * He vants to pe der shturdy oak,
 * Und, also, do der glinging.


 * Maype, vhen oaks dhey gling some more,
 * Und don'd so shturdy been,
 * Der glinging vines dhey haf some shance
 * To helb run Life's masheen.
 * In helt und sickness, shoy und pain,
 * In calm or shtormy veddher,
 * 'Tvas beddher dot dhose oaks und vines
 * Should alvays gliug togeddher.