Breitmann In Holland - Leyden
By Charles G. Leland
Tis shveet to valk in Holland towns
Apout de twilicht tide,
Vhen all ish shdill on proad canals,
Safe vhere a poat may clide.
Shdrange light on darkenin vater falls,
In long soft lines afar,
Der abenddroth on dunkelheit,
Vitch shows or hides a star.
De pridges risen all aroundt
So quaindly, left und right,
Pedween each pridge und shattow, lies,
A lemon of yellow light,
Und das volk a-goin ober,
So darklin onwarts pass,
Dey look like Chinese shattows shown
Apofe a lookin-glass.
All shdiller grows, und shdiller,
Sogar die efenin preeze,
Ish only heardt far ober het
In dese long lines of drees;
A real oldt Holland feelin
Cooms gadderin ober all,
Youd nefer dink a sturm hat peen
Oopon dis Grand Canawl.
De nople houses! how deyd mofe
An old New Yorkers heart,
Time vas twix dese und dose at home
You couldnt tell em part,
Mit crate brass knockers on de toors,
Und parlors town so low
You see de crates a glowin prite
Oer carbets ash you go.
Deres comfort-full of avery dings,
You veel it ash you look,
You knows de volks ish opulend,
Und keep a bully cook;
Und oopon de high camine,
Or here und dere on shelf,
Deres Japanesisch dings in rows,
Pe mingled oop mit delf.
Deres noding in dis Holland life,
Vitch seems of present day,
De fery shildren in de shdreeds
Look quaintlich as dey blay;
De liddle rosy housemaids,
In bicdures vell I know,
De dames und heers hafe all an air
Of sixdy years ago.
They may dalk of anciendt hishdory
Und for romantisch seek,
De ding dat mofes most teeply ish
Old-vashioned not antique.
O if you live in Leyden town
Youll meet, if troot pe told,
De forms of all de freunds who tied
Vhen du werst six years old.