Da spreeng ees com'! but oh, da joy
Eet ees too late!
He was so cold, my leetla boy,
He no could wait.
I no can count how manny week,
How manny day, dat he ees seeck;
How manny night I seet an' hold
Da leetla hand dat was so cold.
He was so patience, oh, so sweet!
Eet hurts my throat for theenk of eet;
An' all he evra ask ees w'en
Ees gona com' da spreeng agen.
Wan day, wan brighta sunny day,
He see, across da alleyway,
Da leetla girl dat's livin' dere
Ees raise her window for da air,
An' put outside a leetla pot
Of -- w'at-you-call? -- forgat-me-not.
So smalla flower, so leetla theeng!
But steell eet mak' hees hearta seeng:
"Oh, now, at las', ees com' da spreeng!
Da leetla plant ees glad for know
Da sun ees com' for mak' eet grow.
So, too, I am grow warm and strong."
So lika dat he seeng hees song.
But, Ah! da night com' down an' den
Da weenter ees sneak back agen,
An' een da alley all da night
Ees fall da snow, so cold, so white,
An' cover up da leetla pot
Of -- w'at-you-call? -- forgat-me-not.
All night da leetla hand I hold
Ees grow so cold, so cold, so cold!
Da spreeng ees com'; but oh, da joy
Eet ees too late!
He was so cold, my leetla boy,
He no could wait.
'Da Leetla Boy' is another great example of T.A. Daly's work. I memorized 'Georga Da Wash' in 1948 and have never forgotten it. I would like to find a biography about Mr. Daly and to know why he wrote in the italian dialect.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
I first read this wonderful poem in H.S. in the early 50's. Years later it came to mind but I wasn't quite sure of the title or author. I tried many possibilities was found nothing. I tried again today (years later) and was successful. I cried as I recited it outloud to myself. Thank you, PoemHunter