The Norsk Nightingale Being the Lyrics of a "Lumberyack"

Excerpt

"YIM"

Dar ban a little faller,
  Ay tenk his name ban Yim,
And nearly every morning
  Ay used to seeing him.
He used to stand in gatevay,
  And call me Svede, and ay
Ant lak to hear dis nickname:
  Ay ban a Norsk, yu say.

But he ban little faller,
  Ay tenk 'bout sax years old,
And so ay used to lak him—
  He ban too small to scold.
Ay used to say, "Val, Yimmie,
  Ay ant ban Svede, but yu
Can call me Svede,—ay lak yu
  And ant care vat yu du."

By Yeorge! Ay'm glad, ay tal yu,
  Dat ay ban gude to him,
Because one venter morning
  Ay ant see little Yim.
And next day funeral vagon
  Com driving op to door,
And Yim, poor little faller,
  Can't call me Svede no more!

TILLIE OLSON

Little Tillie Olson
  Ban my little pearl;
God ant never making
  Any nicer girl.
Dis har Qveen of Sheba,
  She ban nice to see;
But little Tillie Olson
  Ban gude enuff for me.

Ay ban yust a svamper
  Vorking op in voods;
Ay ant ever having
  Much of dis vorld's goods.
Ay know lots of ladies
  Var ay used to be,
But little Tillie Olson
  Ban gude enuff for me.

Over in Chicago
  'Bout sax veeks ago,
Torger Yohnson tak me
  Out to see nice show.
Chorus girls ban dancing
  Purty fine, by yee;
But little Tillie Olson
  Ban gude enuff for me.

Ven ve sit by fireplace
  Op at Tillie's house,
She ban cuddling near me,
  Yust lak little mouse.
After ve ban married,
  Happy ve skol be.
Yas, little Tillie Olson
  Ban gude enuff for me.

"Roll out!" yell cookee
"It ban morning," say he,
  "It ban daylight in svamps, all yu guys!"
So out of varm bunk
Ve skol falling kerplunk,
  And rubbing lak blazes our eyes.
Breakfast, den hustle; dinner, den yump!
Lumberyack faller ban yolly big chump.

"Eat qvick!" say the cook.
"Oder fallers skol look
  For chance to get grub yust lak yu!"
So under our yeans
Ve pack planty beans,
  And Yim dandy buckvheat cakes, tu.
Den out on the skidvay, vorking lak mule.
Lumberyack faller ban yolly big fule.

"Vatch out!" foreman say.
Den tree fall yure vay,
  And missing yure head 'bout an inch.
Ef timber ban green,
Ve skol rub kerosene
  On places var coss cut skol pinch.
Sawing and chopping, freeze and den sveat.
Lumberyack faller ban yackass, yu bet.

Ven long com the spring,
Ve drenk and we sing;
 And calling town faller gude frend,
He help us to blow
Our whole venter's dough,
 But ant got no panga to lend.
Drenk and headache, headache and drenk.
Lumberyack faller ban sucker, ay tenk.

LITTLE STEENA YOHNSON

Ay ban tenking lots of yu,
  Little Steena Yohnson,
Ay ban sure yu love me true,
  Little Steena Yohnson.
Oder geezers lak to play
In yure yard, but yu skol say,
"Ay don't lak yu fallers, nay!"
  Little Steena Yohnson.

Some day yu skol be my vife,
  Little Steena Yohnson:
Ay ban glad, yu bet yure life,
  Little Steena Yohnson.
Ay ban vork lak nigger, tu,
Yumping 'round vith treshing crew;
Ay skol building home for yu,
  Little Steena Yohnson.

Maybe ve skol saving dough,
  Little Steena Yohnson;
Back to Norvay ve skol go,
  Little Steena Yohnson—
Back var dis har midnight sun
Shining lak a son of a gun;
Ant yu tenk dis har ban fun,
  Little Steena Yohnson...?