The Habitants Summer

O, who can blame de winter, never min'

    de hard he 's blowin'

 'Cos w'en de tam is comin' for passin' on

    hees roun'

De firse t'ing he was doin' is start de sky a

  snowin'

 An'  mak' de nice w'ite blanket, for cover up

    de groun' .

An' de groun' she go a'sleepin' t'roo all de

    stormy season,

 Restin' from her work las' summer, till she 's

    waken by the rain

Dat le bon Dieu sen' some morning, an' of

    course dat 's be de reason

 Ev'ry year de groun' she 's lookin' jus' as

    fresh an' young again.

Den you geev her leetle sunshine, w'en de snow

    go off an' leave her

 Let de sout' win' blow upon her, an' you see

    beeg changes now

Wit' de steam arisin' from her jus' de sam' she

    got de fever,

 An' not many day is passin' w'en she 's

    ready for de plow.

We don't bodder wit' no spring-tam w'ere de

    rain she 's alway fallin' ,

 Two, t'ree mont' , or mebbe longer, on de

    place beyon' de sea,

W'ere some bird  he 's nam' de cuckoo, spen'

    de mos' hees tam a-callin'

 But for fear he wet hees fedder, hide away

    upon de tree.

On de swamp beside de reever, mebbe jus'

    about de fly-tam

 W'ere it 's very hard to see heem, we hear

    de wo-wa-raw,

Dat 's w'at you call de bull-frog, singin'

    "more rum", all de night-tam.

 He 's only kin' of cuckoo we got on Cana-

    daw

No, we have n't got dat feller, but we got some

    bird can beat heem,

 An' we hear dem, an' we see dem, jus' so

    soon de winter go,

So never min' de cuckoo for we 're not afraid

     to meet heem,

 W'enever he was ready, wit' our own petits

    oiseaux.

An' dey almos' come togeder, lak de spring

    an' summer wedder,

 Blue-bird wan day, pie-blanche nex' day,

    geevin' out deir leetle note,

Affer dat we see de robin' , an' de gouglou on

    de medder,

 Den le roi, de red bird 's comin' , dressim on

    hees sojer coat.

W 'en de grosbec on de pine tree, wak' you

    early wit' hees singin' ,

 W'en you lissen to de pa'tridge a-beatin'on

    hees drum,

W'en de w'ole place roun' about you wit'

    musique is a-ringin' ,

 Den you know de winter 's over, an' de

    summer day is come.

See de apple blossom showin' , see de clover

    how it 's growin'

 Watch de trout, an' way dey 're playin' on

    de reever down below,

Ah! de cunning leetle feller, easy see how well

    dey 're knowin'

 We 're too busy now for ketch dem an' dat 's

    w'y dey 're jompin' so.

For de mos' fine summer season don't las' too

    long, an' we know it,

 So we 're workin' ev'rybody, w'ile de sun is

    warm and clear,

Dat 's de tam for plant de barley, an' de injun

    corn we sow it,

 W'en de leaf upon de maple 's jus' de size

    of squirrel's ear.

'Noder job is feexin' fences, if we don 't be lak

    de las' year,

 W'en de Durham bull he 's pullin' nearly all

    de fence away,

An' dat sapree champion taureau let de cattle

    out de pasture

 So dey 're playin' on de devil wit' de oat

    an' wit' de hay.

Yass, de farmer 's offen worry, an' it some-

    tam mak' heem snappy,

 For no sooner wan job's finish, dan he got

    two t'ousan' more,

But he 's glad for see de summer, w'en all de

    worl' she 's happy,

 An' ev'ryt'ing  aroun' heem was leevin' out

    o'door.

Now de ole sheep 's takin' young wan up de

    hillside, an' dey feed dem

 W'ere de nice short grass is growin' sweeter

    dan it grow below,

Ev'ry morning off dey're goin' an' it 's

    pleasan' t'ing to see dem

 Lookin' jus' lak leetle snow-ball all along de

    green coteau.

Dere 's de hen too, wit' her chicken, O how

    moche dey mak' her bodder

 Watchin' dem mos' ev'ry minute, fearin' dey

    was go astray

But w'en mountain hawk  he 's comin' den

    how quick dey fin' de moder

 An' get onderneat' her fedder till de dan-

    ger 's pass away.

An' jus' see de turkey gobbler, an' lissen' to

    heem talkin'

 No wonder he 's half crazee, an' spikin' out

    so loud,

W'en you meet heem on de roadside wit' hees

    wife an' chil'ren walkin',

 It 's kipin' heem so busy lookin' affer such

    a crowd.

Dat 's about de way we 're leevin' , dat 's a

    few t'ing we 're seein' ,

 W'en de nice warm summer sun is shinin'

    down on Canadaw,

An' no matter w'at I'm hearin' , still I never

    feel lak bein'

 No oder stranger feller, me, but only habi-

    tant.

For dere 's no place lak our own place, don't

    care de far you 're goin'

 Dat 's w'at de whole worl's sayin', w'enever

    dey come here,

'Cos we got de fines' contree, an' de beeges'

    reever flowin'

 An' le bon Dieu sen' de sunshine nearly

    twelve mont' ev'ry year.