William Grant Still

Twell de Night is Pas' by Dunbar

Text in boldface type was used as Prologue to Movement 1 of the Afro-American Symphony

TWELL DE NIGHT IS PAS'

All de night long twell de moon goes down,
Lovin' I set at huh feet,
Den fu' de long jou'ney back f'om de town,
Ha'd, but de dreams mek it sweet.
All de night long twell de break of de day,
Dreamin' agin in my sleep,
Mandy comes drivin' my sorrers away,
Axin' me, "Wha' fu' you weep?"

All de day long twell de sun goes down,
Smilin', I ben' to my hoe,
Fu' dough de weddah git nasty an' frown,
On place I know I kin go.

All my life long twell de night has pas'
Let de wo'k come ez it will,
So dat I fin' you, my honey, at las',
Somewhaih des ovah de hill.



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From: The Complete Poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar. Dodd, Mead & Company: New York, 1970
Transcriptions by Boyd Gibson