Third Collection. A Snowy Night
’Twer at night, an’ a keen win’ did blow Vrom the east under peäle-twinklèn stars, All a-zweepèn along the white snow; On the groun’, on the trees, on the bars, Vrom the hedge where the win’ russled drough, There a light-russlèn snow-doust did vall; An’ noo pleäce wer a-vound that wer lew, But the shed, or the ivy-hung wall. Then I knock’d at the wold passage door Wi’ the win’-driven snow on my locks; Till, a-comèn along the cwold vloor, There my Jenny soon answer’d my knocks. Then the wind, by the door a-swung wide, Flung some snow in her clear-bloomèn feäce, An’ she blink’d wi’ her head all a-zide, An’ a-chucklèn, went back to her pleäce. An’ in there, as we zot roun’ the brands, Though the talkers wer mainly the men, Bloomèn Jeäne, wi’ her work in her hands, Did put in a good word now an’ then. An’ when I took my leave, though so bleäk Wer the weather, she went to the door, Wi’ a smile, an’ a blush on the cheäk That the snow had a-smitten avore.
William Barnes’s other poems:
