Hymn (Dunbar 2)

For works with similar titles, see Hymn.

Hymn by Paul Laurence Dunbar

In the 1913 collection of his work, The Complete Poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar

          HYMN

O li'l' lamb out in de col',
De Mastah call you to de fol',
         O li'l' lamb!
He hyeah you bleatin' on de hill;
Come hyeah an' keep yo' mou'nin' still,
         O li'l' lamb!

De Mastah sen' de Shepud fo'f;
He wandah souf, he wandah no'f,
         O li'l' lamb!
He wandah eas', he wandah wes';
De win' a-wrenchin' at his breas',
         O li'l' lamb!

Oh, tell de Shepud whaih you hide;
He want you walkin' by his side,
         O li'l' lamb!
He know you weak, he know you so';
But come, don' stay away no mo',
         O li'l' lamb!

An' af'ah while de lamb he hyeah
De Shepud's voice a-callin' cleah—
         Sweet li'l' lamb!
He answah f'om de brambles thick,
"O Shepud, I's a-comin' quick"—
         O li'l' lamb!

This work published before January 1, 1923 is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.