An Antebellum Sermon was one of Dunbar's best efforts to enlighten his audience about a
serious issue in a casual, lyrical manner that would not alienate them. This poem was successful
in providing social insight which was hidden under the dialect African Americans were
comfortable with at the time. It is considered one of his best dialect poems.
We is gathahed hyeah, my brothahs,
In dis howlin' wildaness,
Fu' to speak some words of comfo't
To each othah in distress.
An' we chooses fu' ouah subjic'
Dis-we'll splain it by an' by;
"An' de Lawd said, Moses, Moses,'
An' de man said, Hyeah am I.'"
Now ole Pher'oh, down in Egypt,
Was de wuss man evah bo'n,
An he had de Hebrew chillun
Down dah wukin' in his co'n;
Twell de Lawd got tiahed o' his foolin',
An' sez he: "I'll let him know-
Look hyeah, Moses, go tell Pher'oh
Fu' to let dem chillun go."
"An' ef he refuse to do it,
I will make him rue de houah,
Fu' I'll empty down on Egypt
All de vials of my powah."
Yes, he did-an' Pher'oh's ahmy
Wasn't wuth a ha'f a dime;
Fu' de Lawd will he'p his chillun,
You kin trust him evah time.
An' yo' enemies may sail you
In de back an' in de front;
But de Lawd is all aroun' you,
Fu' to ba' de battle's brunt.
Dey kin fo'ge yo' chains an' shackles
F'om de mountains to de sea;'
But de Lawd will sen' some Moses
Fu' to set his chillun free.
An' de lan' shall hyeah his thundah,
Lak a blas' f'om Gab'el's ho'n,
Fu' de Lawd of hosts is mighty
When he girds his ahmor on.
But fu' feah some one mistakes me,
I will pause right hyeah to say,
Dat I'm still a-preachin' ancient,
I ain't talkin' bout to-day.
But I tell you, fellah christuns,
Things'll happen mighty strange;
Now, de Lawd done dis fu' Isrul
Wasn't all on Isrul spent;
Now don't run an' tell yo' mastahs
Dat I's preachin' discontent.
'Cause I isn't; I'se a-judgin'
Bible people by deir ac's;
I'se a-givin' you de Scriptuah,
I'se a-handin' you de fac's.
Cose ole Pher'oh b'lieved in slav'ry,
But de Lawd he let him see,
Dat de people he put bref in,-
Evah mothah's son was free.
An' dah's othahs thinks lak Pher'oh,
But dey calls de Scriptuah liar,
Fu' de Bible says "a servant
Is a-worthy of his hire."
An' you cain't get roun' not thoo dat,
An' you cain't git ovah it,
Fu' whatevah place you git in,
Dis hyeah Bible too'll fit.
So you see de Lawd's intention,
Evah sence de worl' began,
Was dat His almighty freedom
Should belong to evah man,
But I think it would be bettah,
Ef I'd pause agin to say,
Dat I'm talkin' bout ouah freedom
In a Bibleistic way.
But de Moses is a-comin'
An' he's comin', suah and fas'
We kin hyeah his feet a-trompin',
We kin hyeah his trumpit blas'.
But I want to wa'n you people,
Don't you git too brigity;
An' don't you git to braggin'
Bout dese things, you wait an'see.
But when Moses wif his powah
Comes an' sets us chillun free,
We will praise de gracious Mastah
Dat has gin us liberty;
An' we'll shout ouah halleluyahs,
On dat mighty reck'nin' day,
When we'se reco'nised ex citiz'-
Huh uh! Chillun, let us pray!
Walker, Janice. "MLA Style Citations of Electronic Sources". Columbia Online Style: MLA-Style Citations of Electronic Sources. January, 1995.
http://www.cas.usf.edu/english/walder.mla.html (November 9, 1997).
http://valencia.cc.fl.us/lrcwers/dunbar.html
http://i-site.on.calbooknook/46/People/P Laurence Dunbar.html
http://www.lib.vdel.edu/ud/spec/exhibits/treasures/american/dunbar.html