{"id":85,"date":"2021-06-15T10:57:44","date_gmt":"2021-06-15T14:57:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.ryerson.ca\/claudemckay\/?post_type=chapter&p=85"},"modified":"2022-02-03T08:50:25","modified_gmt":"2022-02-03T13:50:25","slug":"cudjoe-fresh-from-de-lecture","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/claudemckay\/chapter\/cudjoe-fresh-from-de-lecture\/","title":{"raw":"Cudjoe Fresh From De Lecture","rendered":"Cudjoe Fresh From De Lecture"},"content":{"raw":"'Top one minute, Cous' Jarge, an' sit do'n 'pon de grass,\r\nAn' mek a[footnote]Make I = let me[\/footnote] tell you 'bout de news I hear at las',\r\nHow de buccra te-day tek time an' begin teach\r\nAll of us dat was deh[footnote]There[\/footnote] in a clear open speech..\r\n\r\nYou miss somet'ing fe true, but a wi' mek you know,\r\nAs much as how a can, how de business a go:\r\nHim tell us 'bout we self, an' mek we fresh[footnote]Over: meaning, \"He gave us a new view of our origin, and explained that we did not come from Adam and Eve, but by evolution.\"[\/footnote] again,\r\nAn' talk about de wul' from commencement to en'.\r\n\r\nMe look 'pon me black 'kin, an' so me head grow big,\r\nAldough me heaby han' dem hab fe plug[footnote]Plough, i.e., pick up the ground with a pickaxe[\/footnote] an' dig;\r\nFor ebery single man, no car'[footnote]Care[\/footnote] about dem rank,\r\nHim bring us ebery one an' put 'pon de same plank.\r\n\r\nSay, parson do de same?[footnote]Do you say that parson does the same?[\/footnote] Yes, in a'dift'ren' way,\r\nFor parson tell us how de whole o' we are clay;\r\nAn' lookin' close at t'ings, we hab to pray quite hard\r\nFe swaller wha' him say an' don't t'ink bad o' Gahd.\r\n\r\nBut dis man tell us 'traight 'bout how de whole t'ing came,\r\nAn' show us widout doubt how Gahd was not fe blame;\r\nHow change cause eberyt'ing fe mix up 'pon de eart',\r\nAn' dat most hardship come t'rough accident o' birt'.\r\n\r\nHim show us all a sort[footnote]All sorts[\/footnote] o' funny 'keleton,\r\nWid names I won't remember under dis ya sun;\r\nAnimals queer to deat',[footnote]The queerest animals[\/footnote] dem bone, teet', an' head-skull,\r\nAll dem so dat did live in a de ole-time wul'.\r\n\r\nNo 'cos say we get cuss mek fe we 'kin come so,\r\nBut fe all t'ings come 'quare, same so it was to go:[footnote]It is not because we were cursed (Gen. ix. 25) that our skin is dark; but so that things might come square, there had to be black and white[\/footnote]\r\nSeems our lan'[footnote]Africa[\/footnote] must ha' been a bery low-do'n place, .\r\nMek it tek such long time in tu'ning out a race.\r\n\r\nYes, from monkey we spring: I believe ebery wud;\r\nIt long time better dan f'go say we come from mud:\r\nNo need me keep back part, me hab not'in' fe gain;\r\nIt's ebery man dat born -- de buccra mek it plain.\r\n\r\nIt realIy strange how some o' de lan' dem advance;\r\nMan power in some ways is nummo soso chance;[footnote]No more than pure chance[\/footnote]\r\nBut suppose eberyt'ing could tu'n right upside down,\r\nDen p'raps we'd be on top an' givin' some one houn'.[footnote]Hound: equivalent to the English slang phrase 'giving someone beans.'[\/footnote]\r\n\r\nYes, Cous' Jarge, slabery hot fe dem dat gone befo':\r\nWe gettin' better times, for those days we no know;[footnote]Do not know: have no experience of[\/footnote]\r\nBut I t'ink it do good, tek we from Africa\r\nAn' lan' us in a blessed place as dis a ya.[footnote]This here[\/footnote]\r\n\r\nTalk 'bouten Africa, we would be deh till now,\r\nMaybe same half-naked-all day dribe buccra cow,\r\nAn' tearin' t'rough de bush wid all de monkey dem,\r\nWile an' uncibilise',[footnote]Wild and uncivilized[\/footnote] an' neber comin' tame.\r\n\r\nl Ief' quite 'way from wha' we be'n deh talk about,[footnote]I have run right away from what we were talking about[\/footnote]\r\nYet still a couldn' help -- de wuds come to me mout';\r\nJust like how yeas' get strong an' sometimes fly de cark,[footnote]Makes the cork fly[\/footnote]\r\nSame way me feelings grow, so I was boun' fe talk.\r\n\r\nYet both horse partly[footnote]Almost[\/footnote] runnin' in de selfsame gallop,\r\nFor it is nearly so de way de buccra puIl up:\r\nHim say, how de wul' stan', dat right will neber be,\r\nBut wrong will eber gwon[footnote]Go on[\/footnote] till dis wul' en' fe we.","rendered":"

‘Top one minute, Cous’ Jarge, an’ sit do’n ‘pon de grass,
\nAn’ mek a[1]<\/sup><\/a> tell you ’bout de news I hear at las’,
\nHow de buccra te-day tek time an’ begin teach
\nAll of us dat was deh[2]<\/sup><\/a> in a clear open speech..<\/p>\n

You miss somet’ing fe true, but a wi’ mek you know,
\nAs much as how a can, how de business a go:
\nHim tell us ’bout we self, an’ mek we fresh[3]<\/sup><\/a> again,
\nAn’ talk about de wul’ from commencement to en’.<\/p>\n

Me look ‘pon me black ‘kin, an’ so me head grow big,
\nAldough me heaby han’ dem hab fe plug[4]<\/sup><\/a> an’ dig;
\nFor ebery single man, no car’[5]<\/sup><\/a> about dem rank,
\nHim bring us ebery one an’ put ‘pon de same plank.<\/p>\n

Say, parson do de same?[6]<\/sup><\/a> Yes, in a’dift’ren’ way,
\nFor parson tell us how de whole o’ we are clay;
\nAn’ lookin’ close at t’ings, we hab to pray quite hard
\nFe swaller wha’ him say an’ don’t t’ink bad o’ Gahd.<\/p>\n

But dis man tell us ‘traight ’bout how de whole t’ing came,
\nAn’ show us widout doubt how Gahd was not fe blame;
\nHow change cause eberyt’ing fe mix up ‘pon de eart’,
\nAn’ dat most hardship come t’rough accident o’ birt’.<\/p>\n

Him show us all a sort[7]<\/sup><\/a> o’ funny ‘keleton,
\nWid names I won’t remember under dis ya sun;
\nAnimals queer to deat’,[8]<\/sup><\/a> dem bone, teet’, an’ head-skull,
\nAll dem so dat did live in a de ole-time wul’.<\/p>\n

No ‘cos say we get cuss mek fe we ‘kin come so,
\nBut fe all t’ings come ‘quare, same so it was to go:[9]<\/sup><\/a>
\nSeems our lan’[10]<\/sup><\/a> must ha’ been a bery low-do’n place, .
\nMek it tek such long time in tu’ning out a race.<\/p>\n

Yes, from monkey we spring: I believe ebery wud;
\nIt long time better dan f’go say we come from mud:
\nNo need me keep back part, me hab not’in’ fe gain;
\nIt’s ebery man dat born — de buccra mek it plain.<\/p>\n

It realIy strange how some o’ de lan’ dem advance;
\nMan power in some ways is nummo soso chance;[11]<\/sup><\/a>
\nBut suppose eberyt’ing could tu’n right upside down,
\nDen p’raps we’d be on top an’ givin’ some one houn’.[12]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

Yes, Cous’ Jarge, slabery hot fe dem dat gone befo’:
\nWe gettin’ better times, for those days we no know;[13]<\/sup><\/a>
\nBut I t’ink it do good, tek we from Africa
\nAn’ lan’ us in a blessed place as dis a ya.[14]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

Talk ’bouten Africa, we would be deh till now,
\nMaybe same half-naked-all day dribe buccra cow,
\nAn’ tearin’ t’rough de bush wid all de monkey dem,
\nWile an’ uncibilise’,[15]<\/sup><\/a> an’ neber comin’ tame.<\/p>\n

l Ief’ quite ‘way from wha’ we be’n deh talk about,[16]<\/sup><\/a>
\nYet still a couldn’ help — de wuds come to me mout’;
\nJust like how yeas’ get strong an’ sometimes fly de cark,[17]<\/sup><\/a>
\nSame way me feelings grow, so I was boun’ fe talk.<\/p>\n

Yet both horse partly[18]<\/sup><\/a> runnin’ in de selfsame gallop,
\nFor it is nearly so de way de buccra puIl up:
\nHim say, how de wul’ stan’, dat right will neber be,
\nBut wrong will eber gwon[19]<\/sup><\/a> till dis wul’ en’ fe we.<\/p>\n

  1. Make I = let me ↵<\/a><\/li>
  2. There ↵<\/a><\/li>
  3. Over: meaning, \"He gave us a new view of our origin, and explained that we did not come from Adam and Eve, but by evolution.\" ↵<\/a><\/li>
  4. Plough, i.e., pick up the ground with a pickaxe ↵<\/a><\/li>
  5. Care ↵<\/a><\/li>
  6. Do you say that parson does the same? ↵<\/a><\/li>
  7. All sorts ↵<\/a><\/li>
  8. The queerest animals ↵<\/a><\/li>
  9. It is not because we were cursed (Gen. ix. 25) that our skin is dark; but so that things might come square, there had to be black and white ↵<\/a><\/li>
  10. Africa ↵<\/a><\/li>
  11. No more than pure chance ↵<\/a><\/li>
  12. Hound: equivalent to the English slang phrase 'giving someone beans.' ↵<\/a><\/li>
  13. Do not know: have no experience of ↵<\/a><\/li>
  14. This here ↵<\/a><\/li>
  15. Wild and uncivilized ↵<\/a><\/li>
  16. I have run right away from what we were talking about ↵<\/a><\/li>
  17. Makes the cork fly ↵<\/a><\/li>
  18. Almost ↵<\/a><\/li>
  19. Go on ↵<\/a><\/li><\/ol><\/div>","protected":false},"author":251,"menu_order":20,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[48],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-85","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry","chapter-type-numberless"],"part":3,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/claudemckay\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/85","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/claudemckay\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/claudemckay\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/claudemckay\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/251"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/claudemckay\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/85\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":86,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/claudemckay\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/85\/revisions\/86"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/claudemckay\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/3"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/claudemckay\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/85\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/claudemckay\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=85"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/claudemckay\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=85"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/claudemckay\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=85"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/claudemckay\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=85"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}