The Turnstile by William Barnes
Ah! sad wer we as we did peace the wold church road, wi’ downcast feace, the while the bells, that mwoaned so deep above our child a-left asleep, wer now a-zingen all alive wi’ t’other bells to meake the vive. But up at woone pleace we come by, t’wer hard to keep woone’s two eyes […]
The Turn O’ The Days by William Barnes
O the wings o’ the rook wer a-glitterèn bright, As he wheel’d on above, in the zun’s evenèn light, An’ noo snow wer a-left, but in patches o’ white, On the hill at the turn o’ the days. An’ along on the slope wer the beäre-timber’d copse, Wi’ the dry wood a-sheäkèn, wi’ red-twiggèd tops. […]
The Thorns In The Geäte by William Barnes
Ah! Meäster Collins overtook Our knot o’ vo’k a-stannèn still, Last Zunday, up on Ivy Hill, To zee how strong the corn did look. An’ he stay’d back awhile an’ spoke A vew kind words to all the vo’k, Vor good or joke, an’ wi’ a smile Begun a-plaÿèn wi’ a chile. The zull, wi’ […]
The Stwonen Bwoy Upon The Pillar by William Barnes
Wi’ smokeless tuns an’ empty halls, An’ moss a-clingèn to the walls, In ev’ry wind the lofty tow’rs Do teäke the zun, an’ bear the show’rs; An’ there, ‘ithin a geät a-hung, But vasten’d up, an’ never swung, Upon the pillar, all alwone, Do stan’ the little bwoy o’ stwone; ‘S a poppy bud mid […]
The Stwonèn Pworch by William Barnes
A new house! Ees, indeed! a small Straïght, upstart thing, that, after all, Do teäke in only half the groun’ The wold woone did avore ‘twer down; Wi’ little windows straïght an’ flat, Not big enough to zun a-cat, An’ dealèn door a-meäde so thin, A puff o’ wind would blow en in, Where woone […]
The Stage Coach by William Barnes
Ah! when the wold vo’k went abroad They thought it vast enough, If vow’r good ho’ses beät the road Avore the coach’s ruf; An’ there they zot, A-cwold or hot, An’ roll’d along the ground, While the whip did smack On the ho’ses’ back, An’ the wheels went swiftly round, Good so’s; The wheels went […]
The Sparrow Club by William Barnes
Last night the merry farmers’ sons, Vrom biggest down to leäst, min, Gi’ed in the work of all their guns, An’ had their sparrow feäst, min. An’ who vor woone good merry soul Should goo to sheäre their me’th, min, But Gammon Gaÿ, a chap so droll, He’d meäke ye laugh to death, min. Vor […]
The Slantèn Light O’ Fall by William Barnes
Ah! Jeäne, my maïd, I stood to you, When you wer christen’d, small an’ light, Wi’ tiny eärms o’ red an’ blue, A-hangèn in your robe o’ white. We brought ye to the hallow’d stwone, Vor Christ to teäke ye vor his own, When harvest work wer all a-done, An’ time brought round October zun– […]
The Sky A-Clearen by William Barnes
The drevèn scud that overcast The zummer sky is all a-past, An’ softer aïr, a-blowèn drough The quiv’rèn boughs, do sheäke the vew Last raïn drops off the leaves lik’ dew; An’ peäviers, now a-gettèn dry, Do steam below the zunny sky That’s now so vast a-cleärèn. The sheädes that wer a-lost below The stormy […]
The Shy Man by William Barnes
Ah! good Meäster Gwillet, that you mid ha’ know’d, Wer a-bred up at Coomb, an’ went little abroad: An’ if he got in among strangers, he velt His poor heart in a twitter, an’ ready to melt; Or if, by ill luck, in his rambles, he met Wi’ zome maïdens a-titt’rèn, he burn’d wi’ a […]
The Shepherd O’ The Farm by William Barnes
Oh! I be shepherd o’ the farm, Wi’ tinklèn bells an’ sheep-dog’s bark, An’ wi’ my crook a-thirt my eärm, Here I do rove below the lark. An’ I do bide all day among The bleäten sheep, an’ pitch their vwold; An’ when the evenèn sheädes be long, Do zee em all a-penn’d an’ twold. […]
The Settle An’ The Girt Wood Vire by William Barnes
Ah! naïghbour John, since I an’ you Wer youngsters, ev’ry thing is new. My father’s vires wer all o’ logs O’ cleft-wood, down upon the dogs Below our clavy, high, an’ brode Enough to teäke a cart an’ lwoad, Where big an’ little all zot down At bwoth zides, an’ bevore, all roun’. An’ when […]
The Scud by William Barnes
Aye, aye, the leäne wi’ flow’ry zides A-kept so lew, by hazzle-wrides, Wi’ beds o’ graegles out in bloom, Below the timber’s windless gloon An’ geäte that I’ve a-swung, An’ rod as he’s a-hung, When I wer young, in Woakley Coomb. ‘Twer there at feäst we all did pass The evenèn on the leänezide grass, […]
The Rwose In The Dark by William Barnes
In zummer, leäte at evenèn tide, I zot to spend a moonless hour ‘Ithin the window, wi’ the zide A-bound wi’ rwoses out in flow’r, Bezide the bow’r, vorsook o’ birds, An’ listen’d to my true-love’s words. A-risèn to her comely height, She push’d the swingèn ceäsement round; And I could hear, beyond my zight, […]
The Railroad by William Barnes
I took a flight, awhile agoo, Along the raïls, a stage or two, An’ while the heavy wheels did spin An’ rottle, wi’ a deafnèn din, In clouds o’ steam, the zweepèn traïn Did shoot along the hill-bound plaïn, As sheädes o’ birds in flight, do pass Below em on the zunny grass. An’ as […]
The Poplars by William Barnes
If theäse day’s work an’ burnèn sky ‘V’a-zent hwome you so tired as I, Let’s zit an’ rest ‘ithin the screen O’ my wold bow’r upon the green; Where I do goo myself an’ let The evenèn aiër cool my het, When dew do wet the grasses bleädes, A-quiv’rèn in the dusky sheädes. There yonder […]
The Pleäce Our Own Ageän by William Barnes
Well! thanks to you, my faïthful Jeäne, So worksome wi’ your head an’ hand, We seäved enough to get ageän My poor vorefather’s plot o’ land. ‘Twer folly lost, an’ cunnèn got, What should ha’ come to me by lot. But let that goo; ’tis well the land Is come to hand, by be’th or […]
The Pleäce A Teäle’s A-Twold O’ by William Barnes
Why tidden vields an’ runnèn brooks, Nor trees in Spring or fall; An’ tidden woody slopes an’ nooks, Do touch us mwost ov all; An’ tidden ivy that do cling By housen big an’ wold, O, But this is, after all, the thing,– The pleäce a teäle’s a-twold o’. At Burn, where mother’s young friends […]
The Pillar’d Geäte by William Barnes
As I come by, zome years agoo, A-burnt below a sky o’ blue, ‘Ithin the pillar’d geäte there zung A vaïce a-soundèn sweet an’ young, That meäde me veel awhile to zwim In weäves o’ jaÿ to hear its hymn; Vor all the zinger, angel-bright, Wer then a-hidden vrom my zight, An’ I wer then […]
The Peasant’s Return by William Barnes
And passing here through evening dew, He hastened happy to her door, But found the old folk only two With no more footsteps on the floor To walk again below the skies Where beaten paths do fall and rise. For she wer gone from earthly eyes To be a-kept in darksome sleep Until the good […]
The New House A-Gettèn’ Wold by William Barnes
Ah! when our wedded life begun, Theäse clean-wall’d house of ours wer new; Wi’ thatch as yollor as the zun Avore the cloudless sky o’ blue; The sky o’ blue that then did bound The blue-hilled worold’s flow’ry ground. An’ we’ve a-vound it weather-brown’d, As Spring-tide blossoms oben’d white, Or Fall did shed, on zunburnt […]
The Neäme Letters by William Barnes
When high-flown larks wer on the wing, A warm-aïr’d holiday in Spring, We stroll’d, ‘ithout a ceäre or frown, Up roun’ the down at Meldonley; An’ where the hawthorn-tree did stand Alwone, but still wi’ mwore at hand, We zot wi’ sheädes o’ clouds on high A-flittèn by, at Meldonley. An’ there, the while the […]
The Music O’ The Dead by William Barnes
When music, in a heart that’s true, Do kindle up wold loves anew, An’ dim wet eyes, in feäirest lights, Do zee but inward fancy’s zights; When creepèn years, wi’ with’rèn blights, ‘V a-took off them that wer so dear, How touchèn ’tis if we do hear The tuèns o’ the dead, John. When I, […]
The Motherless Child by William Barnes
The zun’d a-zet back tother night, But in the zettèn pleäce The clouds, a-redden’d by his light, Still glow’d avore my feäce. An’ I’ve a-lost my Meäry’s smile, I thought; but still I have her chile, Zoo like her, that my eyes can treäce The mother’s in her daughter’s feäce. O little feäce so near […]
The Milk-Maid O’ The Farm by William Barnes
O Poll’s the milk-maïd o’ the farm! An’ Poll’s so happy out in groun’, Wi’ her white païl below her eärm As if she wore a goolden crown. An’ Poll don’t zit up half the night, Nor lie vor half the day a-bed; An’ zoo her eyes be sparklèn bright, An’ zoo her cheäks be […]
The Mead A-Mow’d by William Barnes
When sheädes do vall into ev’ry hollow, An’ reach vrom trees half athirt the groun’; An’ banks an’ walls be a-lookèn yollow, That be a-turn’d to the zun gwaïn down; Drough haÿ in cock, O, We all do vlock, O, Along our road vrom the meäd a-mow’d. An’ when the last swaÿèn lwoad’s a-started Up […]
The Meäd In June by William Barnes
Ah! how the looks o’ sky an’ ground Do change wi’ months a-stealèn round, When northern winds, by starry night, Do stop in ice the river’s flight; Or brooks in winter raïns do zwell, Lik’ rollèn seas athirt the dell; Or trickle thin in zummer-tide; Among the mossy stwones half dried; But still, below the […]
The May-Tree by William Barnes
I’ve a-come by the Maÿ-tree all times o’ the year, When leaves wer a-springèn, When vrost wer a-stingèn, When cool-winded mornèn did show the hills clear, When night wer bedimmèn the vields vur an’ near. When, in zummer, his head wer as white as a sheet, Wi’ white buds a-zwellèn, An’ blossom, sweet-smellèn, While leaves […]
The Maid Vor My Bride by William Barnes
Ah! don’t tell o’ maïdens! the woone vor my bride Is little lik’ too many maïdens bezide,– Not brantèn, nor spitevul, nor wild; she’ve a mind To think o’ what’s right, an’ a heart to be kind. She’s straïght an’ she’s slender, but not over tall, Wi’ lim’s that be lightsome, but not over small; […]
The Maid O’ Newton by William Barnes
In zummer, when the knaps wer bright In cool-aïr’d evenèn’s western light, An’ haÿ that had a-dried all day, Did now lie grey, to dewy night; I went, by happy chance, or doom, Vrom Broadwoak Hill, athirt to Coomb, An’ met a maïd in all her bloom: The feaïrest maïd o’ Newton. She bore a […]
The Lovely Maïd Ov Elwell Meäd by William Barnes
A maïd wi’ many gifts o’ greäce, A maïd wi’ ever-smilèn feäce, A child o’ yours my chilhood’s pleäce, O leänèn lawns ov Allen; ‘S a-walkèn where your stream do flow, A-blushèn where your flowers do blow, A-smilèn where your zun do glow, O leänèn lawns ov Allen. An’ good, however good’s a-waïgh’d, ‘S the […]
The Love Child by William Barnes
Where the bridge out at Woodley did stride, Wi’ his wide arches’ cool sheäded bow, Up above the clear brook that did slide By the popples, befoam’d white as snow: As the gilcups did quiver among The white deäisies, a-spread in a sheet. There a quick-trippèn maïd come along,– Aye, a girl wi’ her light-steppèn […]
The Little Worold by William Barnes
My hwome wer on the timber’d ground O’ Duncombe, wi’ the hills a-bound: Where vew from other peärts did come, An’ vew did travel vur from hwome, An’ small the worold I did know; But then, what had it to bestow But Fanny Deäne so good an’ feäir? ‘Twer wide enough if she wer there. […]
The Linden On The Lawn by William Barnes
No! Jenny, there’s noo pleäce to charm My mind lik’ yours at Woakland farm, A-peärted vrom the busy town, By longsome miles ov aïry down, Where woonce the meshy wall did gird Your flow’ry geärden, an’ the bird Did zing in zummer wind that stirr’d The spreädèn linden on the lawn. An’ now ov all […]
The Lilac by William Barnes
Dear lilac-tree, a-spreadèn wide Thy purple blooth on ev’ry zide, As if the hollow sky did shed Its blue upon thy flow’ry head; Oh! whether I mid sheäre wi’ thee Thy open aïr, my bloomèn tree, Or zee thy blossoms vrom the gloom, ‘Ithin my zunless workèn-room, My heart do leäp, but leäp wi’ sighs, […]
The Lew O’ The Rick by William Barnes
At eventide the wind wer loud By trees an’ tuns above woone’s head, An’ all the sky wer woone dark cloud, Vor all it had noo raïn to shed; An’ as the darkness gather’d thick, I zot me down below a rick, Where straws upon the win’ did ride Wi’ giddy flights, along my zide, […]
The Leäne by William Barnes
They do zay that a travellèn chap Have a-put in the newspeäper now, That the bit o’ green ground on the knap Should be all a-took in vor the plough. He do fancy ’tis easy to show That we can be but stunpolls at best, Vor to leäve a green spot where a flower can […]
The Leädy’s Tower by William Barnes
An’ then we went along the gleädes O’ zunny turf, in quiv’rèn sheädes, A-windèn off, vrom hand to hand, Along a path o’ yollow zand, An’ clomb a stickle slope, an’ vound An open patch o’ lofty ground, Up where a steätely tow’r did spring, So high as highest larks do zing. “Oh! Meäster Collins,” […]
The Lark by William Barnes
As I, below the mornèn sky, Wer out a workèn in the lew O’ black-stemm’d thorns, a-springèn high, Avore the worold-boundèn blue, A-reäkèn, under woak tree boughs, The orts a-left behin’ by cows. Above the grey-grow’d thistle rings, An’ deäisy-buds, the lark, in flight, Did zing a-loft, wi’ flappèn wings, Tho’ mwore in heärèn than […]
The Ivy by William Barnes
Upon theäse knap I’d sooner be The ivy that do climb the tree, Than bloom the gaÿest rwose a-tied An’ trimm’d upon the house’s zide. The rwose mid be the maïdens’ pride, But still the ivy’s wild an’ free; An’ what is all that life can gi’e, ‘Ithout a free light heart, John? The creepèn […]