The Red Canoe

De win' is sleepin' in de pine, but O! de

  night is black!

An' all day long de loon bird cry on Lac Waya-

  gamack-

No light is shinin' by de shore for helpin' steer

  heem t'roo

W'en out upon de night, Ubalde he tak' de

  red canoe.

I hear de paddle dip, dip, dip! wance more I

  hear de loon-

I feel de breeze was show de way for storm

  dat 's comin' soon,

An' den de sky fly open wit' de lightning

  splittin' t'roo-

An' 'way beyon' de point I see de leetle red

  canoe.

It 's dark again, but lissen how across Waya-

  gamack

De tonder 's roarin' loud,  an' now de mount-

  ains answer back-

I wonder wit' de noise lak dat, he hear me, le

  bon Dieu

W'en on ma knee I ax Heem save de leetle red

  canoe!

Is dat a voice, so far away, it die upon ma hear?

Or only win' was foolin' me, an' w'isperin'

  "Belzemire?"

Yaas, yaas, Ubalde, your Belzemire she 's

  prayin' hard for you-

An' den again de lightning come, but w'ere 's

  de red canoe?

Dey say I 'm mad, dem foolish folk, cos w'en

  de night is black

An' w'en de wave lak snow-dreef come on Lac

  Wayagamack

I tak' de place w'ere long ago we use to sit, us

  two,

An' wait until de lightning bring de leetle red

  canoe.