About Me
The Gullah version includes Dr. Geraty's phonetic spelling.Thank God for CharlestonIt's twilight and I take up my pen to write
These things that I think about Charleston.I don't have the education to write like the buckruh write
That live on Broad Street.Because when the Lord said to choose the box that held the
Things with which to make our living.My old people chose the heavy box that held the most, and
The box held an axe, a shovel and a hoe.That buckruh took the little box that was left and they got
The pencil, the paper and the books and things.Very well then, I don't have the words to write about Charleston
My old home, my "Holy Land",But the Lord knows that my heart "stands" just like the buckruh
Who has his name on the books that he writes.The moon has risen now, and the wind brings the smell of the marsh
From the harbor of the land that I love.Thank God for my life and the health to sing His praises.
Thank God that I was born and that I am going to die in Charleston.T'engk' Gawd fuh Chaa'stun'E, fus daa'k en' un tek me pen een han' fuh write
Dese t'ing wuh uh t'ink 'bout Chaa'stun.Uh yent hab onduhstan' fuh write lukkuh dem buckruh write
Wuh lib tuh Brawd Street.Bekase w'en de Lawd say mus' chuse de box wuh hol'
De t'ing fuh mek we libbin',Me ole peepul chuse de hebby box wuh hol' de mo'res
En' de box hab ax en' shubble en' hoe.De buckruh tek de leetle box wuh lef' en' 'e git
De pensul, de papuh en' de book en' t'ing.Berry weellden, uh yent hab de wu'd fuh write 'bout Chaa'stun---
Me ole home, me "Holy Lan'".But Lawd know me h'aa't stan' same lukkuh dem buckruh
Wuh hab 'e name 'puntop de book wuh 'e write.De moon done rise en' de win' fetch de smell ob de maa'sh
F'um de haa'buh ob de lan' wuh uh lub'.T'engk' Gawd fuh life en' he'lt' fuh sing 'E, praise.
T'engk' Gawd fuh uh bin bawn en' uh gwi' die een Chaa'stun.
