‘Tis hatred without an’ ’tis hatred within,
\nAn’ I am so weary an’ sad;
\nFor all t’rough de tempest o’ terrible strife
\nDere’s not’in’ to make poor me glad.<\/p>\n
Oh! where are de faces I loved in de past,
\nDe Men’s dat I used to hold dear?
\nOh say, have dey all turned away from me now
\nBecausen de red seam I wear?<\/p>\n
I foolishly wandered away from dem all
\nTo dis life of anguish an’ woe,
\nWhere I mus’ be hard on me own kith an’ kin,
\nAnd even to frien’ mus’ prove foe.<\/p>\n
Oh ! what have I gained from my too too rash act
\nO’ joinin’ a hard Constab Force,
\nSave quenchin’ me thirst from a vinegar cup,
\nDe vinegar cup o’ remorse?<\/p>\n
I fought of a livin’ o’ pure honest toil,
\nTo keep up dis slow-ebbin’ breath;
\nBut no, de life surely is bendin’ me do’n,
\nIs bendin’ me do’n to de death.<\/p>\n
‘Tis grievous to think dat, while toilin’ on here, But I’ll leave it, my people, an’ come back to you, For ’tis hatred without an’ ’tis hatred within,
\nMy people won’t love me again,
\nMy people, my people, me owna black skin,
\nDe wretched fought[1]<\/sup><\/a> gives me such pain.<\/p>\n
\nI’ll flee from de grief an’ turmoil;
\nI’ll leave it, though flow’rs here should line my path yet,
\nAn’ come back to you an’ de soil.<\/p>\n
\nAn’ how can I live ‘douten[2]<\/sup><\/a> heart?
\nThen oh for de country, de love o’ me soul,
\nFrom which I shall nevermore part!<\/p>\n