Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

DA WHEESTLIN' BARBER by THOMAS AUGUSTINE DALY

First Line: LAS' NIGHT YOU HEAR DA OP'RA?
Last Line: HA! W'AT YOU THEENK OF DAT?
Subject(s): BARBERS;
LAS' night you hear da op'ra?
Eef you was uppa stair
An' eef you know Moralli
You mebbe saw heem dere.
Moralli? He's a barber,
But verra bright an' smart,
An' crazy for da op'ra;
He knows dem all by heart.
He's alla tima wheestlin',
An' often you can find
Jus' from da tune he wheestles
W'at thoughts ees een hees mind.
Eef you would ask a question,
Da answer you would gat
Ees notheeng but som' music --
Ha! w'at you theenk of dat?

Las' week hees wife, Lucia --
Fine woman, too, is she --
She gave to heem som' babies,
Not only wan, but three!
Eef to your shop som' neighbors
Should breeng sooch news to you
Eet sure would jus' excite you
To say a word or two;
But deesa Joe Moralli,
Dees music-crazy loon,
He never stopped hees wheestlin' --
But justa changed hees tune.
Dees answer from hees music
Was all dat dey could gat:
"Trio from 'Trovatore.'"
Ha! w'at you theenk of dat?

He nevva stopped hees wheestlin'
Dat "Trovatore" tune,
Not even w'en he's dreenkin'
Weeth frands een da saloon.
He wheestled eet dat evenin'
W'en home he went to see
Hees granda wife, Lucia,
An' leetla babies three.
But w'en he stood bayfore dem
He was so full weeth dreenk,
He looked upon dose babies
An' wheestle -- W'at you theenk?
O! den da tune he wheestled
Was -- how-you-call-eet? -- "pat:"
"Sextetta from Lucia."
Ha! w'at you theenk of dat?



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