Evenèn, An’ Maidens Out At Door by William Barnes
Now the sheädes o’ the elems do stratch mwore an’ mwore, Vrom the low-zinkèn zun in the west o’ the sky; An’ the maïdens do stand out in clusters avore The doors, vor to chatty an’ zee vo’k goo by. An’ their cwombs be a-zet in their bunches o’ heäir, An’ their currels do hang […]
Eclogue:–Two Farms In Woone by William Barnes
_Robert an’ Thomas._ ROBERT. You’ll lose your meäster soon, then, I do vind; He’s gwaïn to leäve his farm, as I do larn, At Miëlmas; an’ I be zorry vor’n. What, is he then a little bit behind? THOMAS. O no! at Miëlmas his time is up, An’ thik there sly wold fellow, Farmer Tup, […]
Eclogue:–The Veäiries by William Barnes
_Simon an’ Samel._ SIMON. There’s what the vo’k do call a veäiry ring Out there, lo’k zee. Why, ’tis an oddish thing. SAMEL. Ah! zoo do seem. I wunder how do come! What is it that do meäke it, I do wonder? SIMON. Be hang’d if I can tell, I’m sure! But zome Do zay […]
Eclogue:–The Times by William Barnes
_John an’ Tom._ JOHN. Well, Tom, how be’st? Zoo thou’st a-got thy neäme Among the leaguers, then, as I’ve a heärd. TOM. Aye, John, I have, John; an’ I ben’t afeärd To own it. Why, who woulden do the seäme? We shant goo on lik’ this long, I can tell ye. Bread is so high […]
Eclogue:–The ‘Lotments by William Barnes
_John and Richard._ JOHN. Zoo you be in your groun’ then, I do zee, A-workèn and a-zingèn lik’ a bee. How do it answer? what d’ye think about it? D’ye think ’tis better wi’ it than without it? A-recknèn rent, an’ time, an’ zeed to stock it, D’ye think that you be any thing in […]
Eclogue:–The Common A-Took In by William Barnes
_Thomas an’ John._ THOMAS. Good morn t’ye, John. How b’ye? how b’ye? Zoo you be gwaïn to market, I do zee. Why, you be quite a-lwoaded wi’ your geese. JOHN. Ees, Thomas, ees. Why, I’m a-gettèn rid ov ev’ry goose An’ goslèn I’ve a-got: an’ what is woose, I fear that I must zell my […]
Eclogue:–The Best Man In The Vield by William Barnes
_Sam and Bob._ SAM. That’s slowish work, Bob. What’st a-been about? Thy pookèn don’t goo on not over sprack. Why I’ve a-pook’d my weäle, lo’k zee, clear out, An’ here I be ageän a-turnèn back. BOB. I’ll work wi’ thee then, Sammy, any day, At any work dost like to teäke me at, Vor any […]
Eclogue:–Racketèn Joe by William Barnes
_Racketèn Joe; his Sister; his Cousin Fanny; and the Dog._ RACKETÈN JOE. Heigh! heigh! here. Who’s about? HIS SISTER. Oh! lauk! Here’s Joe, a rantèn lout, A-meäkèn his wild randy-rout. RACKETÈN JOE. Heigh! Fanny! How d’ye do? (_slaps her._) FANNY. Oh! fie; why all the woo’se vor you A-slappèn o’ me, black an’ blue, My […]
Eclogue:–John, Jealous At Shroton Feäir by William Barnes
_Jeäne; her Brother; John, her Sweetheart; and Racketèn Joe_ JEÄNE. I’m thankvul I be out o’ that Thick crowd, an’ not asquot quite flat. That ever we should plunge in where the vo’k do drunge So tight’s the cheese-wring on the veät! I’ve sca’ce a thing a-left in pleäce. ‘Tis all a-tore vrom pin an’ […]
Eclogue:–John An’ Thomas by William Barnes
THOMAS. How b’ye, then, John, to-night; an’ how Be times a-waggèn on w’ ye now? I can’t help slackenèn my peäce When I do come along your pleäce, To zee what crops your bit o’ groun’ Do bear ye all the zummer roun’. ‘Tis true you don’t get fruit nor blooth, ‘Ithin the glassèn houses’ […]
Eclogue:–Come And Zee Us In The Zummer by William Barnes
_John; William; William’s Bwoy; and William’s Maïd at Feäir._ JOHN. Zoo here be your childern, a-sheärèn Your feäir-day, an’ each wi’ a feäirèn. WILLIAM. Aye, well, there’s noo peace ‘ithout comèn To stannèn an’ show, in the zummer. JOHN. An’ how is your Jeäne? still as merry As ever, wi’ cheäks lik’ a cherry? WILLIAM. […]
Eclogue:–A Ghost by William Barnes
_Jem an’ Dick._ JEM. This is a darkish evenèn; b’ye a-feärd O’ zights? Theäse leäne’s a-haunted, I’ve a heärd. DICK. No, I be’nt much a-feär’d. If vo’k don’t strive To over-reach me while they be alive, I don’t much think the dead wull ha’ the will To come back here to do me any ill. […]
Eclogue:–A Bit O’ Sly Coorten by William Barnes
_John and Fanny._ JOHN. Now, Fanny, ’tis too bad, you teazèn maïd! How leäte you be a’ come! Where have ye staÿ’d? How long you have a-meäde me waït about! I thought you werden gwaïn to come ageän: I had a mind to goo back hwome ageän. This idden when you promis’d to come out. […]
Early Risèn by William Barnes
The aïr to gi’e your cheäks a hue O’ rwosy red, so feaïr to view, Is what do sheäke the grass-bleädes gray At breäk o’ day, in mornèn dew; Vor vo’k that will be rathe abrode, Will meet wi’ health upon their road. But bidèn up till dead o’ night, When han’s o’ clocks do […]
Early Pla Meäte by William Barnes
After many long years had a-run, The while I wer a-gone vrom the pleäce, I come back to the vields, where the zun Ov her childhood did show me her feäce. There her father, years wolder, did stoop. An’ her brother, wer now a-grow’d staïd, An’ the apple tree lower did droop. Out in the […]
Don’t Ceäre by William Barnes
At the feäst, I do mind very well, all the vo’ks Wer a-took in a happerèn storm, But we chaps took the maïdens, an’ kept em wi’ clokes Under shelter, all dry an’ all warm; An’ to my lot vell Jeäne, that’s my bride, That did titter, a-hung at my zide; Zaid her aunt, “Why […]
A Do’set Sale by William Barnes
WITH A MISTAKE. (_Thomas and Mr Auctioneer._) _T._ Well here, then, Mister auctioneer, Be theäse the virs, I bought, out here? _A._ The firs, the fir-poles, you bought? Who? ‘Twas _furze_, not _firs_, I sold to you. _T._ I bid vor _virs_, and not vor _vuzzen_, Vor vir-poles, as I thought, two dozen. _A._ Two […]
Day’s Work A-Done by William Barnes
And oh! the jaÿ our rest did yield, At evenèn by the mossy wall, When we’d a-work’d all day a-vield, While zummer zuns did rise an’ vall; As there a-lettèn Goo all frettèn, An’ vorgettèn all our tweils, We zot among our childern’s smiles. An’ under skies that glitter’d white, The while our smoke, arisèn […]
Daniel Dwithen, The Wise Chap by William Barnes
Dan Dwithen wer the chap to show His naïghbours mwore than they did know, Vor he could zee, wi’ half a thought, What zome could hardly be a-taught; An’ he had never any doubt Whatever ‘twer, but he did know’t, An’ had a-reach’d the bottom o’t, Or soon could meäke it out. Wi’ narrow feäce, […]
Culver Dell And The Squire by William Barnes
There’s noo pleäce I do like so well, As Elem Knap in Culver Dell, Where timber trees, wi’ lofty shouds, Did rise avore the western clouds; An’ stan’ ageän, wi’ veathery tops, A-swayèn up in North-Hill Copse. An’ on the east the mornèn broke Above a dewy grove o’ woak: An’ noontide shed its burnèn […]
Corn A-Turnen Yollow by William Barnes
The windless copse ha’ sheädy boughs, Wi’ blackbirds’ evenèn whistles; The hills ha’ sheep upon their brows, The zummerleäze ha’ thistles: The meäds be gaÿ in grassy Maÿ, But, oh! vrom hill to hollow, Let me look down upon a groun’ O’ corn a-turnèn yollow. An’ pease do grow in tangled beds, An’ beäns be […]
Chris’mas Invitation by William Barnes
Come down to-morrow night; an’ mind, Don’t leäve thy fiddle-bag behind; We’ll sheäke a lag, an’ drink a cup O’ eäle, to keep wold Chris’mas up. An’ let thy sister teäke thy eärm, The walk won’t do her any harm; There’s noo dirt now to spweil her frock, The ground’s a-vroze so hard’s a rock. […]
Children’s Children by William Barnes
Oh! if my ling’rèn life should run, Drough years a-reckoned ten by ten, Below the never-tirèn zun, Till beäbes ageän be wives an’ men; An’ stillest deafness should ha’ bound My ears, at last, vrom ev’ry sound; Though still my eyes in that sweet light, Should have the zight o’ sky an’ ground: Would then […]
Childhood by William Barnes
Aye, at that time our days wer but vew, An’ our lim’s wer but small, an’ a-growèn; An’ then the feäir worold wer new, An’ life wer all hopevul an’ gaÿ; An’ the times o’ the sproutèn o’ leaves, An’ the cheäk-burnèn seasons o’ mowèn, An’ bindèn o’ red-headed sheaves, Wer all welcome seasons o’ […]
Changes by William Barnes
By time’s a-brought the mornèn light, By time the light do weäne; By time’s a-brought the young man’s might, By time his might do weäne; The Winter snow do whitèn grass, The zummer flow’rs do brightèn grass, Vor zome things we do lose wi’ païn, We’ve mwore that mid be jaÿ to gaïn, An’ my […]
Brookwell by William Barnes
Well, I do zay ’tis wo’th woone’s while To beät the doust a good six mile To zee the pleäce the squier plann’d At Brookwell, now a-meäde by hand; Wi’ oben lawn, an’ grove, an’ pon’, An’ gravel-walks as cleän as bron; An’ grass a’most so soft to tread As velvet-pile o’ silken thread; An’ […]
Bringen Woone Gwaïn O’ Zundays by William Barnes
Ah! John! how I do love to look At theäse green hollor, an’ the brook Among the withies that do hide The stream, a-growèn at the zide; An’ at the road athirt the wide An’ shallow vword, where we young bwoys Did peärt, when we did goo half-woys, To bring ye gwaïn o’ Zundays. Vor […]
Bob The Fiddler by William Barnes
Oh! Bob the fiddler is the pride O’ chaps an’ maïdens vur an’ wide; They can’t keep up a merry tide, But Bob is in the middle. If merry Bob do come avore ye, He’ll zing a zong, or tell a story; But if you’d zee en in his glory, Jist let en have a […]
Blessens A-Left by William Barnes
Lik’ souls a-toss’d at sea I bore Sad strokes o’ trial, shock by shock, An’ now, lik’ souls a-cast ashore To rest upon the beäten rock, I still do seem to hear the sound O’ weäves that drove me vrom my track, An’ zee my strugglèn hopes a-drown’d, An’ all my jaÿs a-floated back. By […]
Bleäke’s House In Blackmwore by William Barnes
John Bleäke he had a bit o’ ground Come to en by his mother’s zide; An’ after that, two hunderd pound His uncle left en when he died; “Well now,” cried John, “my mind’s a-bent To build a house, an’ paÿ noo rent.” An’ Meäry gi’ed en her consent. “Do, do,”–the maïdens cried “True, true,”–his […]
Blackmwore Maidens by William Barnes
THE PRIMRWOSE in the shade do blow, The cowslip in the zun, The thyme upon the down do grow, The clote where streams do run; An’ where do pretty maidens grow An’ blow, but where the tow’r Do rise among the bricken tuns, In Blackmwore by the Stour. If you could zee their comely gait, […]
The Blackbird by William Barnes
‘Twer out at Penley I’d a-past A zummer day that went too vast, An’ when the zettèn zun did spread On western clouds a vi’ry red; The elems’ leafy limbs wer still Above the gravel-bedded rill, An’ under en did warble sh’ill, Avore the dusk, the blackbird. An’ there, in sheädes o’ darksome yews, Did […]
Bishop’s Caundle by William Barnes
At peace day, who but we should goo To Caundle vor an’ hour or two: As gaÿ a day as ever broke Above the heads o’ Caundle vo’k, Vor peace, a-come vor all, did come To them wi’ two new friends at hwome. Zoo while we kept, wi’ nimble peäce, The wold dun tow’r avore […]
Bees A-Zwarmen by William Barnes
Avore we went a-milkèn, vive Or six o’s here wer all alive A-teäkèn bees that zwarm’d vrom hive; An’ we’d sich work to catch The hummèn rogues, they led us sich A dance all over hedge an’ ditch; An’ then at last where should they pitch, But up in uncle’s thatch? Dick rung a sheep-bell […]
Beauty Undecked by William Barnes
The grass mid sheen when wat’ry beäds O’ dew do glitter on the meäds, An’ thorns be bright when quiv’rèn studs O’ raïn do hang upon their buds– As jewels be a-meäde by art To zet the plaïnest vo’k off smart. But sheäkèn ivy on its tree, An’ low-bough’d laurel at our knee, Be bright […]
Be’mi’ster by William Barnes
Sweet Be’mi’ster, that bist a-bound By green an’ woody hills all round, Wi’ hedges, reachèn up between A thousan’ vields o’ zummer green, Where elems’ lofty heads do drow Their sheädes vor haÿ-meakers below, An’ wild hedge-flow’rs do charm the souls O’ maïdens in their evenèn strolls. When I o’ Zunday nights wi’ Jeäne Do […]
Bad News by William Barnes
I do mind when there broke bitter tidèns, Woone day, on their ears, An’ their souls wer a-smote wi’ a stroke As the lightnèn do vall on the woak, An’ the things that wer bright all around em Seem’d dim drough their tears. Then unheeded wer things in their vingers, Their grief wer their all. […]
Aunt’s Tantrums by William Barnes
Why ees, aunt Anne’s a little staïd, But kind an’ merry, poor wold maïd! If we don’t cut her heart wi’ slights, She’ll zit an’ put our things to rights, Upon a hard day’s work, o’ nights; But zet her up, she’s jis’ lik’ vier, An’ woe betide the woone that’s nigh ‘er. When she […]
Angels By The Door by William Barnes
Oh! there be angels evermwore, A-passèn onward by the door, A-zent to teäke our jaÿs, or come To bring us zome–O Meärianne. Though doors be shut, an’ bars be stout, Noo bolted door can keep em out; But they wull leäve us ev’ry thing They have to bring–My Meärianne. An’ zoo the days a-stealèn by, […]
A Zong Of Harvest Hwome by William Barnes
The ground is clear. There’s nar a ear O’ stannèn corn a-left out now, Vor win’ to blow or raïn to drow; ‘Tis all up seäfe in barn or mow. Here’s health to them that plough’d an’ zow’d; Here’s health to them that reap’d an’ mow’d, An’ them that had to pitch an’ lwoad, Or […]