Third Collection. Shaftesbury Feäir
When hillborne Paladore did show So bright to me down miles below, As woonce the zun, a-rollèn west, Did brighten up his hill’s high breast. Wi’ walls a-lookèn dazzlèn white, Or yollow, on the grey-topp’d height Of Paladore, as peäle day wore Awaÿ so feäir. Oh! how I wish’d that I wer there. The pleäce wer too vur off to spy The livèn vo’k a-passèn by; The vo’k too vur vor aïr to bring The words that they did speak or zing. All dum’ to me wer each abode, An’ empty wer the down-hill road Vrom Paladore, as peäle day wore Awaÿ so feäir; But how I wish’d that I wer there. But when I clomb the lofty ground Where livèn veet an’ tongues did sound, At feäir, bezide your bloomèn feäce, The pertiest in all the pleäce, As you did look, wi’ eyes as blue As yonder southern hills in view, Vrom Paladore—O Polly dear, Wi’ you up there, How merry then wer I at feäir. Since vu’st I trod thik steep hill-zide My grievèn soul ’v a-been a-tried Wi’ païn, an’ loss o’ worldly geär, An’ souls a-gone I wanted near; But you be here to goo up still, An’ look to Blackmwore vrom the hill O’ Paladore. Zoo, Polly dear. We’ll goo up there, An’ spend an hour or two at feäir. The wold brown meäre’s a-brought vrom grass, An’ rubb’d an’ cwomb’d so bright as glass; An’ now we’ll hitch her in, an’ start To feäir upon the new green cart, An’ teäke our little Poll between Our zides, as proud’s a little queen, To Paladore. Aye, Poll a dear, Vor now ’tis feäir, An’ she’s a-longèn to goo there. While Paladore, on watch, do straïn Her eyes to Blackmwore’s blue-hill’d pläin, While Duncliffe is the traveller’s mark, Or cloty Stour’s a-rollèn dark; Or while our bells do call, vor greäce, The vo’k avore their Seävior’s feäce, Mid Paladore, an’ Poll a dear, Vor ever know O’ peäce an’ plenty down below.
William Barnes’s other poems:
