Paul Laurence Dunbar: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

Christmas

Paul Laurence Dunbar

“Christmas” as printed in The Complete Poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar (1913).

Paul Laurence Dunbar: Collected Lyrics Text 27 1913 · historical text
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Complete public-domain lyrics

This text comes from The Complete Poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar, a historical songbook transcribed on Wikisource and reproduced from the pinned revision linked below.

Verse 1

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Trouble In De KitchenThe Complete Poems of Paul Laurence Dunbarby Paul Laurence DunbarChristmasRain-Songs→sister projects: Wikidata item

CHRISTMAS

Verse 2

Step wid de banjo an' glide wid de fiddle,

Dis ain' no time fu' to pottah an' piddle:

Fu' Christmas is comin', it's right on de way,

An' dey's houahs to dance 'fo' de break o' de day.

What if de win' is taihin' an' whistlin'?

Look at dat' fiah how hit's spittin' an' bristlin'!

Heat in de ashes an' heat in de cindahs,

Ol' mistah Fros' kin des look thoo de windahs.

Heat up de toddy an' pas' de wa'm glasses,

Don' stop to shivah at blowin's an' blas'es,

Keep on de kittle an' keep it a-hummin',

Eat all an' drink all, dey's lots o' a-comin'.

Look hyeah, Maria, don't open dat oven,

Want all dese people a-pushin' an' shovin'?

Res' f'om de dance? Yes, you done cotch dat odah,

Mammy done cotch it, an' law! hit nigh flo'd huh;

'Possum is monst'ous fu' mekin' folks fin' it!

Come, draw yo' cheers up, I's sho' I do' min' it.

Eat up dem critters, you men folks an' wimmens,

'Possums ain' skace w'en dey's lots o' pu'simmons.

Credits

Written by Paul Laurence Dunbar

Words by Paul Laurence Dunbar. Historical text published in The Complete Poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar (1913); public domain. No claim to a modern recording or arrangement.

Source & text edition

The Complete Poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar (1913), “Christmas”

Every text in this collected edition is by Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872-1906); his works entered the public domain in life-plus-70 jurisdictions in 1977, and the 1913 edition is in the public domain in the United States. The edition carries a Wikisource PD-old determination.

How to read this historical text and its source

Read the source on Wikisource

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Retrieved 2026-10-27. Line spacing and section labels are adapted for reading. The displayed text follows the linked edition. Editorial notes and abstract artwork are by 52lyrics.
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