It will readily be remarked that every word is a corruption of a French one, and as no standard of spelling can exist in what may be called an unwritten language, every writer has a distinct system of representing Creole sounds. The seductive beauty of this language can only be for the initiated, as the beauty of the native women is rarely remarked except by those who have made a long voyage, and have almost forgotten what beauty is. The versified translation of the song does not give an exact idea of the construction of the Creole sentence, I may therefore insert one verse with an interlined literal translation:-- Lisette, quitté la plaine, _Lisette, quitta la plaine,_ Mon perdi bonheur à moué, _Je perdis mon bonheur,_ Gié à moin semblé fontaine _Mes yeux semblaient une fontaine_ Dipi mon pas miré toué. _Depuis je ne te vois pas._ La jour quand mon coupé canne _Le jour quand je coupe la canne_ Mon songé zamour à moué; _Je pense à mes amours;_ La nuit quand mon dans cabane _La nuit quand je suis dans ma cabane_ Dans dromi mon quimbé toué. _Dans un songe je te tiens._ It is very difficult to find any very definite rules of grammar in this song-- Lisette quitté (Lisette has left or left), Past. Mon coupé canne (I cut the cane), Present. Si to allé (if thou shouldst go), Subjunctive. Ta trouvé (thou wilt find), Future. Qui gagné (who possess), Present. Absolutely the same form is preserved in all tenses and moods, and in conversation various expedients are adopted to render the meaning clear. A. M. L’Hérison, a Haytian, has written a song, which is quoted in Mr. Thomas’s grammar, and as it represents the _cultivated_ Creole of the present day, it is worth while inserting it:-- BADINEZ BIEN AVEC MACAQUE. Grand ’maman moïn dit: nans Guinée Grand mouché rassemblé youn jour Toute pêpe li contré nan tournée Et pis li parlé sans détour: Quand zôt allez foncer nan raque Connain coûment grand moune agi Badinez bien avec Macaque, Mais na pas magnié queue à li Grand ’maman moïn, dit moïn bon qui chose Lô li prend bon coup malavoume. Li dit moin you ça, “Mourose,” Nan tout ’grand zaffaires faut dit “Houme” Mais peut-on flanqué moin youn claque On pilôt terminer ainsi; Badinez bien avec Macaque Mais na pas magnié queue à li. To get the true ring of popular Creole it is necessary to examine their proverbs. M. J. J. Audain, a well-known Haytian, whose first literary efforts brought him into trouble, has published a collection which is very complete.[19] As Hayti becomes older as a nation and loses its French element, we may have a distinct Creole literature. There are many proverbs in M. Audain’s collection that would be quite incomprehensible to an untravelled Frenchman:--