Saturday, February 28, 2015

quand you get to know a fellow

Quand you get to know a fellow,
      Know his joys et his cares,
Quand you’ve come to understand him
      Et the burdens that he bears,
Quand you’ve learned the fight he’s making
      Et the troubles in his way,
Then tu find that he is different
      Than tu though him yesterday.
You find his faults are trival
      Et there’s not so much to blame
In the brother that tu jeered at
      Quand tu only knew his name.
You are quick to see the blemish
      In the distant neighbor’s style,
Tu can point to all his errors
      Et may sneer at him the while.
Et your prejudices fatten
      Et your hates more violent grow
As tu talk about the failures
      Of the man tu do not know,
But quand drawn a little closer,
      Et your hands et shoulders touch,
Tu find the traits tu hated
      Really don’t amount to much.
Quand tu get to know a fellow,
      Know his every mood et whim,

Tu begin to find the texture
      Of the splendid side of him;
You begin to understand him,
      Et tu cease to scoff et sneer,
Pour with understanding always
      Prejudices disappear.
You begin to find his virtures
      Et his faults tu cease to tell,
Pour tu seldom hate a fellow
      Quand tu know him very well.
Quand next tu start in sneering
      Et your phrases turn to blame,
Know more, before tu censure,
      Of his business et his name.
Pour it’s likely that acquaintance
      Would your prejudice dispel,
Et you’d really come to like him
      If you knew him bien well.
Quand tu get to know a fellow
      Et tu understand his ways,
Then his faults won’t really matter,

      Pour you’ll find a lot to praise.