Second Collection. The Vier-zide
’Tis zome vo’ks jaÿ to teäke the road, An’ goo abro’d, a-wand’rèn wide, Vrom shere to shere, vrom pleäce to pleäce, The swiftest peäce that vo’k can ride. But I’ve a jaÿ ’ithin the door, Wi’ friends avore the vier-zide. An’ zoo, when winter skies do lour, An’ when the Stour’s a-rollèn wide, Drough bridge-voot raïls, a-painted white, To be at night the traveller’s guide, Gi’e me a pleäce that’s warm an’ dry, A-zittèn nigh my vier-zide. Vor where do love o’ kith an’ kin, At vu’st begin, or grow an’ wride, Till souls a-lov’d so young, be wold, Though never cwold, drough time nor tide, But where in me’th their gather’d veet Do often meet—the vier-zide. If, when a friend ha’ left the land, I shook his hand a-most wet-eyed, I velt too well the ob’nèn door Would leäd noo mwore where he did bide, An’ where I heärd his vaïces sound, In me’th around the vier-zide. As I’ve a-zeed how vast do vall The mwold’rèn hall, the wold vo’ks pride, Where merry hearts wer woonce a-ved Wi’ daily bread, why I’ve a-sigh’d, To zee the wall so green wi’ mwold, An’ vind so cwold the vier-zide. An’ Chris’mas still mid bring his me’th To ouer he’th, but if we tried To gather all that woonce did wear Gay feäces there! Ah! zome ha’ died, An’ zome be gone to leäve wi’ gaps O’ missèn laps, the vier-zide. But come now, bring us in your hand, A heavy brand o’ woak a-dried, To cheer us wi’ his het an’ light, While vrosty night, so starry-skied, Go gather souls that time do speäre To zit an’ sheäre our vier-zide.
William Barnes’s other poems:
