"A Dark Lament" (1908)
Words by Irene C. Dobyne
Music by Carrie Jacobs-Bond, 1862-1946

Chicago: The Bond Shop
[Source: 145/186@Levy]

1.
De birds am sweet-ly sing-in' in de syc-a-more tree,
De sun am bright-ly shin-in' in de sky,
But dar ain't no more sing-in' or no shin-in' now for me,
Ma li----  'l pic-a-nin-ny up an' die.

2.
Was jus de dear-est lil' pick-a-nin-y in de worl'
Wid his lil' cur-ly haid an' spark-lin' eye,
He done gone left his mam-my an he's wan-drin' far a-way,
It's al-ways dem dat's best what up an' die.

3.
Dar's lots ob con-so-la-tion to de sad an' dem dat sigh,
Fer de Lord, He gives an' den He took a-way
But I knows ma lil' nig-ger's migh-ty bus-y up on high
A-shin-in' Ga-briel's trum-pet for de Res-ur-rect-tion Day!