Escolhas de Langston Hughes - Poemas de Débora

Hard Luck

When hard luck overtakes you
Nothin' for you to do.
When hard luck overtakes you
Nothin' for you to do.
Gather up yo' fine clothes
An' sell 'em to de Jew.

Jew takes yo' fine clothes,
Gives you a dollar an' a half.
Jew takes yo' fine clothes,
Gives you a dollar an' a half.
Go to de bootleg's,
Git some gin to make you laugh.
(...)

Hey!

Sun’s a settin’,
This is what I’m gonna sing.
Sun’s a settin’,
This is what I’m gonna sing:
I feels de blues a comin’,
Wonder what de blues’ll bring?

Hey! Hey!

Sun’s a risin’,
This is gonna be ma song.
Sun’s a risin’,
This is gonna be ma song.
I could be blue but
I been blue all night long.

Angel Wings

The angels wings is white as snow,
    O, white as snow,
             White
           as
               snow.
The angels wings is white as snow,
    But I drug ma wings
    In the dirty mire.
    O, I drug ma wings
    All through the fire.
But the angels wings is white as snow,
    White
             as
            snow.


Railroad Avenue

Dusk dark
On Railroad Avenue.
Lights in the fish joints,
Lights in the pool rooms.
A box-car some train
Has forgotten
In the middle of the
Block.
A player piano,
A victrola.
    942
    Was the number.
A boy
Lounging on a corner.
A passing girl
With purple powdered skin.
    Laughter
    Suddenly
    Like a taut drum.
    Laughter
    Suddenly
    Neither truth nor lie.
    Laughter
Hardening the dusk dark evening.
    Laughter
Shaking the lights in the fish joints,
Rolling white balls in the pool rooms,
And leaving untouched the box-car
Some train has forgotten.

Sport

Life
For him
Must be
The shivering of
A great drum
Beaten with swift sticks
Then at the closing hour
The lights go out
And there is no music at all
And death becomes
An empty cabaret
And eternity an unblown saxophone
And yesterday
A glass of gin
Drunk long
Ago.


Saturday Night

Play it once.
O, play some more.
Charlie is a gambler
An' Sadie is a whore.
    A glass o' whiskey
    An' a glass o' gin:
    Strut, Mr. Charlie,
    Till de dawn comes in.
Pawn yo' gold watch
An' diamond ring.
Git a quart o' licker,
Let's shake dat thing!
    Skee-de-dad! De-dad!
    Doo-doo-doo!
    (...)

Closing time

Her face is pale
            In the doorway light
            Her lips blood red
            And her skin blue white.
Taxi!
          I'm tired.
Deep . . . River . . ..
         O, God, please!
The river and the moon hold memories.
    Cornets play.
    Dancers whirl
    Death, be kind.
What was the cover charge, kid?
    To a little drowned girl.

de Fine Clothes to the Jew, 1927