My Lubly Dinah Mae

[WARNING: This song contains antiquated racial language. It is presented here for historical and educational purposes only.]

A 1848 popular song.
Words and music by William Clifton.

The sheet music:

My-Lubly-Dinah-Mae – SHEET MUSICDownload

Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:

My_Lubly_Dinah_Mae – MIDIDownload

Lyrics

  1. Now darkies listen to me
    A story I’ll relate
    Which happen’d many years ago
    In ole Virginnee state
    My massa he buy Dinah
    And bring her home to me
    De lubliest shinning creater
    Dat ebber you did see

Chorus
Oh, Dinah Mae, My lubly Dinah Mae
How many tears I’ve shed for you
When de moonbeams nightly play

  1. How often wid my Dinah
    When de moon be on its way
    We’ve pledg’d our lubs togedder
    For ebber and a day
    And when I tink how happy
    Wid Dinah I have been
    Upon dat lubly flowing stream
    And on its bank so green
  2. One night I ax my Dinah
    If she wid me would go
    A sailing cross de ribber
    To see my farder, Joe
    When on de way so pleasant
    So happy, and so gay
    My Dinah she fell over board
    And on de botton lay
  3. I jump’d into de ribber
    My Dinah to obtain
    She say, farewell I’m dying Joe
    She nebber speak again
    Wid hebby heart I dig de grave
    And softly laid her down
    I strew it o’er wid flow’rs sweet
    And dar I set and moan
  4. From dat day to de present
    My heart it sobs and beats
    And when dat dey comes once a year
    I nebber nebber eats
    I takes my seat along side
    De grave where Dinah lay
    And softly do I whisper
    Come to me, Dinah Mae

Sung here by Alejandro Murgia: