“No Lickle Twang” By Louise Bennett-Coverley

Me glad fi see yuh come back, bwoy,

But lawd, yuh let me dung
Me shame a yuh so till all a
Me proudness drop a grung.
Yuh mean yuh go dah Merica
An spen six whole mont deh,
An come back not a piece better
Dan how yuh did go weh?
Bwoy, yuh no shame? Is so yuh come?
After yuh tan so lang!
Not even lickle language, bwoy?
Not even lickle twang?
An yuh sister what work ongle
One week wid Merican
She talk so nice now dat we have
De jooce fi understand?
Bwoy, yuh couldn improve yuhself!
An yuh get so much pay?
Yuh spen six mont a foreign, an
Come back ugly same way?
Not even a drapes trousiz, or
A pass de riddim coat?
Bwoy, not even a gole teet or
A gole chain roun yuh troat?

Suppose me laas me pass go introjooce

Yuh to a stranger
As me lamented son what lately
Come from Merica!
Dem hooda laugh after me, bwoy!
Me couldn tell dem so!
Dem hooda seh me lie, yuh wasa
Spen time back a Mocho!
No back-answer me, bwoy – yuh talk
Too bad! Shet up yuh mout!
Ah doan know how yuh an yuh puppa
Gwine to meck it out.
Ef yuh waan please him, meck him tink
Yuh bring back someting new.
Yuh always call him ‘Pa’ – dis evenin
When him comes seh ‘Poo’.
Good Morning Teacher-by Louise Bennett

Good mahnin, Teacher — ow is yuh?

My name is Sarah Pool.
Dis is fi-me li bwoy Michal
An me just bring him a school.

Him bawn one rainy day, ma'am, it

Was comin awn to night —
Ugly baby grow pretty fi true,
For dis one was a sight.

Him bawn de week when Rufus

Jack-fruit tree did start fi bear,
Is dat same mont Oby pig dead
— But me figat de year.

We call him Mi, Mike, Mikey,

Jay, Jakey, Jacob, Jack,
But him right name is Michal Jaco'b
Alexander Black.

No treat him rough, yaw, Teacher;

Him is a sickly chile:
As yuh touch him hard him meck nize'
Some people seh him pwile.

Teck time wid him yaw teacher-

If him rude an start fi rave
Dis beat annoder bwoy , an him
Wi frighten an behave.

For nuff time when him rude a yard

An woan hear at all
Ah jus beat de bed-poas hard, mah,
An yu waan fi hear Jack bawl!

Now dat yuh know hi, lickle ways

Ah not havin no fear
Dat anyting wi mel him, so
Ah lef him in yu care.
 Cuss-Cuss by Louise Bennett
Gwan, gal, yuh favour teggereg!
Ah weh yuh gwine go do?
Yuh an yuh boogooyagga frien-dem
Tink me fraid a yuh?

Go weh, yuh favour heng-pon-nail!

Is me yuh waan fi trace?
Me is jus de one fi teck me han
An leggo pon yuh face.

Fi-me han no jine chuch, an me naw

Pay licen fi me mout.
Me wi tell yuh bout yuh - see yah,
Gal, no bodder get me out!

Me no know is what kine a chuch

Fi-yuh mout coulda jine -
Yuh lip-dem heng dung lacka when
Mule cyaan meck up him mine.

Gwan! Me an yuh no combolo -

Yuh foot shapeless an lang
Like smaddy stan far fling dem awn
An meck dem heng awn wrang!

Fi-yuh foot favour capital K!

Koo pon yuh two nose-hole -
Dem dis big an open out like
Miss Jane outsize fish bowl.

Go weh! Yuh cyann bwile sof egg

But still yuh waan get ring -
No man na gwine fi married yuh
When yuh cyaan do a ting.

Is grudge yuh grudgeful! Me cyaan cook

But me ben go dah good school -
Me got intelligency, yuh
Illiterated fool!

Me sorry fi de man yuh get -

De po ting hooden nyam
When yuh ackebus him salt-fish
An bwilivous him yam
 The National Heroes’

Chorus: Forward, forever united

Students workers and farmers

1. Granny Nanny of Nanny Town

symbol of unity and strength
lighted the flame of freedom
in the hearts of earlier Jamaicans

Chorus

2. Sam Sharpe, non-violent leader

instigated the slaves of Jamaica
to fight for freedom and liberty
and throw off the shackles of slavery

Chorus

3. George William Gordon, far seeing statesman

struggled for human rights and dignity
he was unjustly executed
for raising his voice against oppression

Chorus

4. Paul Bogle of Stony Gut

fought against oppression and deception
leader, preacher and martyr
he died in the cause of justice

Chorus

5. Marcus Mosiah Garvey

fighter of Black Man’s dignity
throughout every nation
he gave all black man a dream

Chorus
6. Patriot Norman Manley
made politics an instrument of progress
father of the nation
man of integrity and justice

Chorus

7. Alexander Bustamante
a ledgendary figure in his lifetime
indomitable labour leader
first Prime Minister of Jamaica

Final chorus
Forward forever united
Jamaica united forever