Yawcob Strauss and Other Poems/Dot Leedle Loweeza


 * How dear to dis heart vas mine grandshild Loweeza!
 * Dot shveet leedle taughter off Yawcob, mine son!
 * I nefer vas tired to hug und to shqveeze her:
 * Vhen home I gets back, und der day's vork vas done.


 * Vhen I vas avay, oh, I know dot she miss me,
 * For vhen I come homevards she rushes bellmell,
 * Und poots oup dot shveet leedle mout' for to kiss me—
 * Her "darling oldt gampa," dot she lofe so vell.




 * Katrina, mine frau, she could not do mitoudt her,
 * She vas sooch a gomfort to her, day py day;
 * Dot shild she make efry von habby aboudt her,
 * Like sunshine she drife all dheir troubles avay.
 * She holdt der vool yarn vhile Katrina she vind it,
 * She pring her dot camfire bottle to shmell;
 * She fetch me mine pipe, too, vhen I don'd can find it,
 * Dot plue-eyed Loweeza, dot lofe me so vell.




 * How shveet, vhen der toils off der veek vas all ofer,
 * Und Sunday vas come, mit its qviet und rest,
 * To valk mit dot shild 'mong der daisies und clofer,
 * Und look off der leedle birds building dheir nest!
 * Her pright leedle eyes, how dhey shparkle mit pleasure!
 * Her laugh it rings oudt shust so clear like a bell;
 * I dink dhere vas nopody haf sooch a treasure
 * As dot shmall Loweeza, dot lofe me so veil.


 * Vhen vinter vas come, mit its coldt, shtormy veddher,
 * Katrina und I ve musd sit in der house,
 * Und dalk off der bast by der fireside togeddher,
 * Or blay mit dot taughter off our Yawcob Strauss.




 * Oldt age, init its wrinkles, pegins to remind us
 * Ve gannot shtay long mit our shildren to dvell;
 * But soon ve shall meet mit der poys left pehind us,
 * Und dot shveet Loweeza, dot lofe us so vell.