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William Henry Drummond - De Habitant
Work rating: High

	De place I get born, me, is up on de reever
	  Near foot of de rapide dat`s call Cheval Blanc
	Beeg mountain behin` it, so high you can`t climb it
	  An` whole place she`s mebbe two honder arpent.

	De fader of me, he was habitant farmer,
	  Ma gran` fader too, an` hees fader also,
	Dey don`t mak` no monee, but dat isn`t fonny
	  For it`s not easy get ev`ryt`ing, you mus` know--

	All de sam` dere is somet`ing dey got ev`ryboddy,
	  Dat`s plaintee good healt`, wat de monee can`t geev,
	So I`m workin` away dere, an` happy for stay dere
	  On farm by de reever, so long I was leev.

	O! dat was de place w`en de spring tam she`s comin`,
	  W`en snow go away, an` de sky is all blue--
	W`en ice lef` de water, an` sun is get hotter
	  An` back on de medder is sing de gou-glou--

	W`en small sheep is firs` comin` out on de pasture,
	  Deir nice leetle tail stickin` up on deir back,
	Dey ronne wit` deir moder, an` play wit` each oder
	  An` jomp all de tam jus` de sam` dey was crack--

	An` ole cow also, she`s glad winter is over,
	  So she kick herse`f up, an` start off on de race
	Wit` de two-year-ole heifer, dat`s purty soon lef` her,
	  W`y ev`ryt`ing`s crazee all over de place!

	An` down on de reever de wil` duck is quackin`
	  Along by de shore leetle san`piper ronne--
	De bullfrog he`s gr-rompin` an` doré is jompin`
	  Dey all got deir own way for mak` it de fonne.

	But spring`s in beeg hurry, an` don`t stay long wit` us
	  An` firs` t`ing we know, she go off till nex` year,
	Den bee commence hummin`, for summer is comin`
	  An` purty soon corn`s gettin` ripe on de ear.

	Dat`s very nice tam for wake up on de morning
	  An` lissen de rossignol sing ev`ry place,
	Feel sout` win` a-blowin` see clover a-growin`
	  An` all de worl` laughin` itself on de face.

	Mos` ev`ry day raf` it is pass on de rapide
	  De voyageurs singin` some ole chanson
	`Bout girl down de reever--too bad dey mus` leave her,
	But comin` back soon` wit` beaucoup d`argent.

	An` den w`en de fall an` de winter come roun` us
	  An` bird of de summer is all fly away,
	W`en mebbe she`s snowin` an` nort` win` is blowin`
	  An` night is mos` t`ree tam so long as de day.

	You t`ink it was bodder de habitant farmer?
	  Not at all--he is happy an` feel satisfy,
	An` cole may las` good w`ile, so long as de wood-pile
	  Is ready for burn on de stove by an` bye.

	W`en I got plaintee hay put away on de stable
	  So de sheep an` de cow, dey got no chance to freeze,
	An` de hen all togedder--I don`t min` de wedder--
	  De nort` win` may blow jus` so moche as she please.

	An` some cole winter night how I wish you can see us,
	  W`en I smoke on de pipe, an` de ole woman sew
	By de stove of T`ree Reever--ma wife`s fader geev her
	  On day we get marry, dat`s long tam ago--

	De boy an` de girl, dey was readin` it`s lesson,
	  De cat on de corner she`s bite heem de pup,
	Ole "Carleau" he`s snorin` an` beeg stove is roarin`
	  So loud dat I`m scare purty soon she bus` up.

	Philomene--dat`s de oldes`--is sit on de winder
	  An` kip jus` so quiet lak wan leetle mouse,
	She say de more finer moon never was shiner--
	  Very fonny, for moon isn`t dat side de house.

	But purty soon den, we hear foot on de outside,
	  An` some wan is place it hees han` on de latch,
	Dat`s Isidore Goulay, las` fall on de Brulé  
	He`s tak` it firs` prize on de grand ploughin` match.

	Ha! ha! Philomene!--dat was smart trick you play us
	  Come help de young feller tak` snow from hees neck,
	Dere`s not`ing for hinder you come off de winder
	  W`en moon you was look for is come, I expec`--

	Isidore, he is tole us de news on de parish
	  `Bout hees Lajeunesse Colt--travel two forty, sure,
	`Bout Jeremie Choquette, come back from Woonsocket
	  An` t`ree new leetle twin on Madame Vaillancour`.

	But nine o`clock strike, an` de chil`ren is sleepy,
	  Mese`f an` ole woman can`t stay up no more
	So alone by de fire--`cos dey say dey ain`t tire--
	  We lef` Philomene an` de young Isidore.

	I s`pose dey be talkin` beeg lot on de kitchen
	  `Bout all de nice moon dey was see on de sky,
	For Philomene`s takin` long tam get awaken
	  Nex` day, she`s so sleepy on bote of de eye.

	Dat`s wan of dem ting`s, ev`ry tam on de fashion,
	  An` `bout nices` t`ing dat was never be seen.
	Got not`ing for say me--I spark it sam` way me
	  W`en I go see de moder ma girl Philomene.

	We leev very quiet `way back on de contree
	  Don`t put on sam style lak de big village,
	W`en we don`t get de monee you t`ink dat is fonny
	  An` mak` plaintee sport on de Bottes Sauvages.

	But I tole you--dat`s true--I don`t go on de city
	  If you geev de fine house an` beaucoup d`argent--
	I rader be stay me, an` spen` de las` day me
	  On farm by de rapide dat`s call Cheval Blanc.
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