Produced by Juliet Sutherland and the Distributed Proofreaders THE NORSK NIGHTINGALE Being the Lyrics of a "Lumberyack" By William F. Kirk 1905 PREFACE It is with a certain amount of misgiving that the author sends out this little volume of Scandinavian dialect verses. To the residents of Northern Wisconsin and Minnesota, where the "lumberyack" lives and thrives, the dialect will seem familiar enough; but to other readers such terms as "skol" (shall or will), "ban" (been), "panga" (money), "sum" (than or as), may convey little or no meaning. But, if the Scandinavian dialect verses are not widely popular, they are at least comparatively fresh and original; and to those readers who can readily grasp the patois, as well as to those who are compelled to struggle painfully through its labyrinths, this volume is respectfully dedicated. CONTENTS HIS LYRICS "Yim" Tillie Olson The "Lumberyack" Little Steena Yohnson Olaf "Yennie Dear" "Peek-a-Boo" Sonnet on Stewed Prunes A Good Fellow "It's Up to You" HIS HISTORICAL TALES Horatius at the Bridge William Tell The Courtship of Miles Standish Robinson Crusoe George Washington Paul Revere Waterloo Barbara Frietchie Sheridan's Ride HIS POETICAL TRANSLATIONS Speak Gently The Barefoot Boy Father William Abou Swen Anson Maud Muller Lucy Gray Stealing a Ride "Curfew shall not Ring To-night" A Psalm of Life Annie Laurie The Charge of the Light Brigade Excelsior Mortality The Day is Done HIS LYRICS "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. THE "LUMBERYACK"