Me’th Below The Tree by William Barnes
O when theäse elems’ crooked boughs, A’most too thin to sheäde the cows, Did slowly swing above the grass As winds o’ Spring did softly pass, An’ zunlight show’d the shiftèn sheäde, While youthful me’th wi’ laughter loud, Did twist his lim’s among the crowd Down there below; up there above Wer bright-ey’d me’th below […]
Meary-Ann’s Child by William Barnes
Meary-Ann wer alwone wi’ her beäby in eärms, In her house wi’ the trees over head, Vor her husban’ wer out in the night an’ the storms, In his business a-tweilèn vor bread; An’ she, as the wind in the elems did roar, Did grievy vor Robert all night out o’ door. An’ her kinsvo’k […]
Meaken Up A Miff by William Barnes
Vorgi’e me, Jenny, do! an’ rise Thy hangèn head an’ teary eyes, An’ speak, vor I’ve a-took in lies, An’ I’ve a-done thee wrong; But I wer twold,–an’ thought ‘twer true,– That Sammy down at Coome an’ you Wer at the feäir, a-walkèn drough The pleäce the whole day long. An’ tender thoughts did melt […]
Meäry’s Smile by William Barnes
When mornèn winds, a-blowèn high, Do zweep the clouds vrom all the sky, An’ laurel-leaves do glitter bright, The while the newly broken light Do brighten up, avore our view, The vields wi’ green, an’ hills wi’ blue; What then can highten to my eyes The cheerful feäce ov e’th an’ skies, But Meäry’s smile, […]
Meäry Wedded by William Barnes
The zun can zink, the stars mid rise, An’ woods be green to sheenèn skies; The cock mid crow to mornèn light, An’ workvo’k zing to vallèn night; The birds mid whissle on the spraÿ, An’ childern leäp in merry plaÿ, But our’s is now a lifeless pleäce, Vor we’ve a-lost a smilèn feäce– Young […]
Martin’s Tide by William Barnes
Come, bring a log o’ cleft wood, Jack, An’ fling en on ageän the back, An’ zee the outside door is vast,– The win’ do blow a cwoldish blast. Come, so’s! come, pull your chairs in roun’ Avore the vire; an’ let’s zit down, An’ keep up Martin’s-tide, vor I Shall keep it up till […]
Married Peäir’s Love Walk by William Barnes
Come let’s goo down the grove to-night; The moon is up, ’tis all so light As day, an’ win’ do blow enough To sheäke the leaves, but tiddèn rough. Come, Esther, teäke, vor wold time’s seäke, Your hooded cloke, that’s on the pin, An’ wrap up warm, an’ teäke my eärm, You’ll vind it better […]
Looks A-Know’d Avore by William Barnes
While zome, a-gwaïn from pleäce to pleäce, Do daily meet wi’ zome new feäce, When my day’s work is at an end, Let me zit down at hwome, an’ spend A happy hour wi’ zome wold friend, An’ by my own vire-zide rejaïce In zome wold naïghbour’s welcome vaïce, An’ looks I know’d avore, John. […]
Linda Deäne by William Barnes
The bright-tunn’d house, a-risèn proud, Stood high avore a zummer cloud, An’ windy sheädes o’ tow’rs did vall Upon the many-window’d wall; An’ on the grassy terrace, bright Wi’ white-bloom’d zummer’s deaïsy beds, An’ snow-white lilies noddèn heads, Sweet Linda Deäne did walk in white; But ah! avore too high a door, Wer Linda Deäne […]
Light Or Sheäde by William Barnes
A Maÿtide’s evenèn wer a-dyèn, Under moonsheen, into night, Wi’ a streamèn wind a-sighèn By the thorns a-bloomèn white. Where in sheäde, a-zinkèn deeply, Wer a nook, all dark but lew, By a bank, arisèn steeply, Not to let the win’ come drough. Should my love goo out, a-showèn All her smiles, in open light; […]
Leaves A-Vallèn by William Barnes
There the ash-tree leaves do vall In the wind a-blowèn cwolder, An’ my childern, tall or small, Since last Fall be woone year wolder. Woone year wolder, woone year dearer, Till when they do leave my he’th, I shall be noo mwore a hearer O’ their vaïces or their me’th. There dead ash leaves be […]
Leady-Day, An’ Ridden House by William Barnes
Aye, back at Leädy-Day, you know, I come vrom Gullybrook to Stowe; At Leädy-Day I took my pack O’ rottletraps, an’ turn’d my back Upon the weather-beäten door, That had a-screen’d, so long avore, The mwost that theäse zide o’ the greäve, I’d live to have, or die to seäve! My childern, an’ my vier-pleäce, […]
Keepen Up O’ Chris’mas by William Barnes
An’ zoo you didden come athirt, To have zome fun last night: how wer’t? Vor we’d a-work’d wi’ all our might To scour the iron things up bright, An’ brush’d an’ scrubb’d the house all drough; An’ brought in vor a brand, a plock O’ wood so big’s an uppèn-stock, An’ hung a bough o’ […]
John Bloom In Lon’on by William Barnes
(_All true._) John Bloom he wer a jolly soul, A grinder o’ the best o’ meal, Bezide a river that did roll, Vrom week to week, to push his wheel. His flour wer all a-meäde o’ wheat; An’ fit for bread that vo’k mid eat; Vor he would starve avore he’d cheat. “‘Tis pure,” woone […]
John Bleäke At Hwome At Night by William Barnes
No: where the woak do overspread, The grass begloom’d below his head, An’ water, under bowèn zedge, A-springèn vrom the river’s edge, Do ripple, as the win’ do blow, An’ sparkle, as the sky do glow; An’ grey-leav’d withy-boughs do cool, Wi’ darksome sheädes, the clear-feäced pool, My chimny smoke, ‘ithin the lew O’ trees […]
Jeane’s Wedden Day In Mornen by William Barnes
At last Jeäne come down stairs, a-drest Wi’ weddèn knots upon her breast, A-blushèn, while a tear did lie Upon her burnèn cheäk half dry; An’ then her Robert, drawèn nigh Wi’ tothers, took her han’ wi’ pride, To meäke her at the church his bride, Her weddèn day in mornèn. Wi’ litty voot an’ […]
In The Stilness O’ The Night by William Barnes
Ov all the housen o’ the pleäce, There’s woone where I do like to call By day or night the best ov all, To zee my Fanny’s smilèn feäce; An’ there the steätely trees do grow, A-rockèn as the win’ do blow, While she do sweetly sleep below, In the stillness o’ the night. An’ […]
I’m Out O’ Door by William Barnes
I’m out, when, in the Winter’s blast, The zun, a-runnèn lowly round, Do mark the sheädes the hedge do cast At noon, in hoarvrost, on the ground, I’m out when snow’s a-lyèn white In keen-aïr’d vields that I do pass, An’ moonbeams, vrom above, do smite On ice an’ sleeper’s window-glass. I’m out o’ door, […]
Hope In Spring by William Barnes
In happy times a while agoo, My lively hope, that’s now a-gone Did stir my heart the whole year drough, But mwost when green-bough’d spring come on; When I did rove, wi’ litty veet, Drough deäisy-beds so white’s a sheet, But still avore I us’d to meet The blushèn cheäks that bloom’d vor me! An’ […]
Hope A-Left Behind by William Barnes
Don’t try to win a maïden’s heart, To leäve her in her love,–’tis wrong: ‘Tis bitter to her soul to peärt Wi’ woone that is her sweetheart long. A maïd’s vu’st love is always strong; An’ if do faïl, she’ll linger on, Wi’ all her best o’ pleasure gone, An’ hope a-left behind her. Thy […]
Heedless O’ My Love by William Barnes
Oh! I vu’st know’d o’ my true love, As the bright moon up above, Though her brightness wer my pleasure, She wer heedless o’ my love. Tho’ ‘twer all gaÿ to my eyes, Where her feäir feäce did arise, She noo mwore thought upon my thoughts, Than the high moon in the skies. Oh! I […]
Haven Woones Fortune A-Twold by William Barnes
In leäne the gipsies, as we went A-milkèn, had a-pitch’d their tent, Between the gravel-pit an’ clump O’ trees, upon the little hump: An’ while upon the grassy groun’ Their smokèn vire did crack an’ bleäze, Their shaggy-cwoated hoss did greäze Among the bushes vurder down. An’ zoo, when we brought back our païls, The […]
The Happy Days When I Wer Young by William Barnes
In happy days when I wer young, An’ had noo ho, an’ laugh’d an’ zung, The maïd wer merry by her cow, An’ men wer merry wi’ the plough; But never talk’d, at hwome or out O’ doors, o’ what’s a-talk’d about By many now,–that to despise The laws o’ God an’ man is wise. […]
Hallowed Pleäces by William Barnes
At Woodcombe farm, wi’ ground an’ tree Hallow’d by times o’ youthvul glee, At Chris’mas time I spent a night Wi’ feäces dearest to my zight; An’ took my wife to tread, woonce mwore, Her maïden hwome’s vorseäken vloor, An’ under stars that slowly wheel’d Aloft, above the keen-aïr’d vield, While night bedimm’d the rus’lèn […]
Gwain To Feäir by William Barnes
To morrow stir so brisk’s you can, An’ get your work up under han’; Vor I an’ Jim, an’ Poll’s young man, Shall goo to feäir; an’ zoo, If you wull let us gi’e ye a eärm Along the road, or in the zwarm O’ vo’k, we’ll keep ye out o’ harm, An’ gi’e ye […]
Gwaïn To Brookwell by William Barnes
At Easter, though the wind wer high, We vound we had a zunny sky, An’ zoo wold Dobbin had to trudge His dousty road by knap an’ brudge, An’ jog, wi’ hangèn vetterlocks A-sheäkèn roun’ his heavy hocks, An’ us, a lwoad not much too small, A-ridèn out to Brookwell Hall; An’ there in doust […]
Gwaïn Down The Steps Vor Water by William Barnes
While zuns do roll vrom east to west To bring us work, or leäve us rest, There down below the steep hill-zide, Drough time an’ tide, the spring do flow; An’ mothers there, vor years a-gone, Lik’ daughters now a-comèn on, To bloom when they be weak an’ wan, Went down the steps vor water. […]
Guy Faux’s Night by William Barnes
Guy Faux’s night, dost know, we chaps, A-putten on our woldest traps, Went up the highest o’ the knaps, An’ meäde up such a vier! An’ thou an’ Tom wer all we miss’d, Vor if a sarpent had a-hiss’d Among the rest in thy sprack vist, Our fun ‘d a-been the higher. We chaps at […]
Grief An’ Gladness by William Barnes
“Can all be still, when win’s do blow? Look down the grove an’ zee The boughs a-swingèn on the tree, An’ beäten weäves below. Zee how the tweilèn vo’k do bend Upon their windward track, Wi’ ev’ry string, an’ garment’s end, A-flutt’rèn at their back.” I cried, wi’ sorrow sore a-tried, An’ hung, wi’ Jenny […]
Grammer’s Shoes by William Barnes
I do seem to zee Grammer as she did use Vor to show us, at Chris’mas, her weddèn shoes, An’ her flat spreadèn bonnet so big an’ roun’ As a girt pewter dish a-turn’d upside down; When we all did draw near In a cluster to hear O’ the merry wold soul how she did […]
Grammer A-Crippled by William Barnes
“The zunny copse ha’ birds to zing, The leäze ha’ cows to low, The elem trees ha’ rooks on wing, The meäds a brook to flow, But I can walk noo mwore, to pass The drashel out abrode, To wear a path in theäse year’s grass Or tread the wheelworn road,” Cried Grammer, “then adieu, […]
Good Meäster Collins by William Barnes
Aye, Meäster Collins wer a-blest Wi’ greäce, an’ now’s a-gone to rest; An’ though his heart did beät so meek ‘S a little child’s, when he did speak, The godly wisdom ov his tongue Wer dew o’ greäce to wold an’ young. ‘Twer woonce, upon a zummer’s tide, I zot at Brookwell by his zide, […]
Gammony Gaÿ by William Barnes
Oh! thik Gammony Gaÿ is so droll, That if he’s at hwome by the he’th, Or wi’ vo’k out o’ door, he’s the soul O’ the meetèn vor antics an’ me’th; He do cast off the thoughts ov ill luck As the water’s a-shot vrom a duck; He do zing where his naïghbours would cry […]
A Father Out, An’ Mother Hwome by William Barnes
The snow-white clouds did float on high In shoals avore the sheenèn sky, An’ runnèn weäves in pon’ did cheäse Each other on the water’s feäce, As hufflèn win’ did blow between The new-leav’d boughs o’ sheenèn green. An’ there, the while I walked along The path, drough leäze, above the drong, A little maïd, […]
Farmer’s Son by William Barnes
Ov all the chaps a-burnt so brown By zunny hills an’ hollors, Ov all the whindlèn chaps in town Wi’ backs so weak as rollers, There’s narn that’s half so light o’ heart, (I’ll bet, if thou’t zay “done,” min,) An’ narn that’s half so strong an’ smart, ‘S a merry farmer’s son, min. He’ll […]
Fanny’s Be’th-Day by William Barnes
How merry, wi’ the cider cup, We kept poor Fanny’s be’th-day up! An’ how our busy tongues did run An’ hands did wag, a-meäkèn fun! What plaÿsome anticks zome ‘s done! An’ how, a-reelèn roun’ an’ roun’, We beät the merry tuèn down, While music wer a-soundèn! The maïdens’ eyes o’ black an’ blue Did […]
False Friends-Like by William Barnes
When I wer still a bwoy, an’ mother’s pride, A bigger bwoy spoke up to me so kind-like, “If you do like, I’ll treat ye wi’ a ride In theäse wheel-barrow here.” Zoo I wer blind-like To what he had a-workèn in his mind-like, An’ mounted vor a passenger inside; An’ comèn to a puddle, […]
Evenèn Twilight by William Barnes
Ah! they vew zummers brought us round The happiest days that we’ve a-vound, When in the orcha’d, that did stratch To westward out avore the patch Ov high-bough’d wood, an’ shelve to catch The western zun-light, we did meet Wi’ merry tongues an’ skippèn veet At evenèn in the twilight. The evenèn aïr did fan, […]
Evenèn Light by William Barnes
The while I took my bit o’ rest, Below my house’s eastern sheäde, The things that stood in vield an’ gleäde Wer bright in zunsheen vrom the west. There bright wer east-ward mound an’ wall, An’ bright wer trees, arisèn tall, An’ bright did break ‘ithin the brook, Down rocks, the watervall. There deep ‘ithin […]
Evenén in the Village by William Barnes
Now the light o’ the west is a-turn’d to gloom, An’ the men be at hwome vrom ground; An’ the bells be a-zendén all down the Coombe From tower, their mwoansome sound. An’ the wind is still, An’ the house-dogs do bark, An’ the rooks be a-vled to the elems high an’ dark, An’ the […]