Paul Laurence Dunbar was an American poet, novelist, and playwright of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His parents Joshua and Matilda Murphy Dunbar were freed slaves from Kentucky. By the age of fourteen, Dunbar had poems published in the Dayton Herald. Dunbar published a short story collection, Folks from Dixie (Dodd, Mead and Co., 1898), a novel entitled The Uncalled (Dodd, Mead and Co., 1898), and two more collections of poems, Lyrics of the Hearthside (Dodd, Mead and Co., 1899) and Poems of Cabin and Field (Dodd, Mead and Co., 1899). He also contributed lyrics to a number of musical reviews. Paul Laurence Dunbar died in 1906 from tuberculosis.

A Negro Love Song

by Paul Laurence Dunbar

Seen my lady home las’ night,
Jump back, honey, jump back.
Hyeahd de win’ blow thoo de pine,
Jump back, honey, jump back,
Mockin’-bird was singin’ fine,
Jump back, honey, jump back.
An’ my hea’t was beatin’ so,
When I reached my lady’s do’,
Dat I couldn’t ba’ to go–
Jump back, honey, jump back.

Put my ahm aroun’ huh wais’,
Jump back, honey, jump back.
Raised huh lips an’ took a tase,
Jump back, honey, jump back.
Love me, honey, love me true?
Love me well ez I love you?
An’ she answe’d, “‘Cose I do”–
Jump back, honey, jump back.

source:

https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poet/paul-laurence-dunbar