The Hwomestead A-Vell Into Hand by William Barnes
The house where I wer born an’ bred, Did own his woaken door, John, When vu’st he shelter’d father’s head, An’ gramfer’s long avore, John. An’ many a ramblèn happy chile, An’ chap so strong an’ bwold, An’ bloomèn maïd wi’ plaÿsome smile, Did call their hwome o’ wold Thik ruf so warm, A kept […]
The Humstrum by William Barnes
Why woonce, at Chris’mas-tide, avore The wold year wer a-reckon’d out, The humstrums here did come about, A-soundèn up at ev’ry door. But now a bow do never screäpe A humstrum, any where all round, An’ zome can’t tell a humstrum’s sheäpe, An’ never heärd his jinglèn sound. As _ing-an-ing_ did ring the string, As […]
The Homestead by William Barnes
If I had all the land my zight Can overlook vrom Chalwell hill, Vrom Sherborn left to Blanvord right, Why I could be but happy still. An’ I be happy wi’ my spot O’ freehold ground an’ mossy cot, An’ shoulden get a better lot […]
The Hollow Woak by William Barnes
The woaken tree, so hollow now, To souls ov other times wer sound, An’ reach’d on ev’ry zide a bough Above their heads, a-gather’d round, But zome light veet That here did meet In friendship sweet, vor rest or jaÿ, Shall be a-miss’d another Maÿ. My childern here, in plaÿvul pride Did zit ‘ithin his […]
The Hedger by William Barnes
Upon the hedge theäse bank did bear, Wi’ lwonesome thought untwold in words, I woonce did work, wi’ noo sound there But my own strokes, an’ chirpèn birds; As down the west the zun went wan, An’ days brought on our Zunday’s rest, When sounds o’ cheemèn bells did vill The aïr, an’ hook an’ […]
The Heäre by William Barnes
(_Dree o’m a-ta’kèn o’t._) (1) There be the greyhounds! lo’k! an’ there’s the heäre! (2) What houn’s, the squier’s, Thomas? where, then, where? (1) Why, out in Ash Hill, near the barn, behind Thik tree. (3) The pollard? (1) Pollard! no, b’ye blind? (2) There, I do zee em over-right thik cow. (3) The red […]
The Guide Post by William Barnes
Why thik wold post so long kept out, Upon the knap, his eärms astrout, A-zendèn on the weary veet By where the dree cross roads do meet; An’ I’ve a-come so much thik woy, Wi’ happy heart, a man or bwoy, That I’d a-meäde, at last, a’móst A friend o’ thik wold guidèn post. An’ […]
The Girt Wold House O’ Mossy Stwone by William Barnes
The girt wold house o’ mossy stwone, Up there upon the knap alwone, Had woonce a bleäzèn kitchèn-vier, That cook’d vor poor-vo’k an’ a squier. The very last ov all the reäce That liv’d the squier o’ the pleäce, Died off when father wer a-born, An’ now his kin be all vorlorn Vor ever,–vor he […]
The Giants In Treädes by William Barnes
GRAMFER’S FEÄBLE. (_How the steam engine come about._) _Vier, Aïr, E’th, Water_, wer a-meäde Good workers, each o’m in his treäde, An’ _Aïr_ an’ _Water_, wer a-match Vor woone another in a mill; The giant _Water_ at a hatch, An’ _Aïr_ on the windmill hill. Zoo then, when _Water_ had a-meäde Zome money, _Äir_ begrudg’d […]
The Flood In Spring by William Barnes
Last night below the elem in the lew Bright the sky did gleam On water blue, while aïr did softly blow On the flowèn stream, An’ there wer gil’cups’ buds untwold, An’ deäisies that begun to vwold Their low-stemm’d blossoms vrom my zight Ageän the night, an’ evenèn’s cwold. But, oh! so cwold below the […]
The Farmer’s Woldest D’ter by William Barnes
No, no! I ben’t a-runnèn down The pretty maïden’s o’ the town, Nor wishèn o’m noo harm; But she that I would marry vu’st, To sheäre my good luck or my crust, ‘S a-bred up at a farm. In town, a maïd do zee mwore life, An’ I don’t under-reäte her; But ten to woone […]
The Fancy Feäir At Maïden Newton by William Barnes
The Frome, wi’ ever-water’d brink, Do run where shelvèn hills do zink Wi’ housen all a-cluster’d roun’ The parish tow’rs below the down. An’ now, vor woonce, at leäst, ov all The pleäcen where the stream do vall, There’s woone that zome to-day mid vind, Wi’ things a-suited to their mind. An’ that’s out where […]
The Fall by William Barnes
The length o’ days ageän do shrink An’ flowers be thin in meäd, among The eegrass a-sheenèn bright, along Brook upon brook, an’ brink by brink. Noo starlèns do rise in vlock on wing- Noo goocoo in nest-green leaves do sound- Noo swallows be now a-wheelèn round- Dip after dip, an’ swing by swing. The […]
The Evenèn Star O’ Zummer by William Barnes
When vu’st along theäse road vrom mill, I zeed ye hwome all up the hill, The poplar tree, so straïght an’ tall, Did rustle by the watervall; An’ in the leäze the cows wer all A-lyèn down to teäke their rest An’ slowly zunk towárd the west The evenèn star o’ zummer. In parrock there […]
The Echo by William Barnes
About the tow’r an’ churchyard wall, Out nearly overright our door, A tongue ov wind did always call Whatever we did call avore. The vaïce did mock our neämes, our cheers, Our merry laughs, our hands’ loud claps, An’ mother’s call “Come, come, my dears” –_my dears_; Or “Do as I do bid, bad chaps” […]
The Dree Woaks by William Barnes
By the brow o’ thik hangèn I spent all my youth, In the house that did peep out between The dree woaks, that in winter avworded their lewth, An’ in zummer their sheäde to the green; An’ there, as in zummer we play’d at our geämes, We ach own’d a tree, Vor we wer but […]
The Drèven O’ The Common by William Barnes
In the common by our hwome There wer freely-open room, Vor our litty veet to roam By the vuzzen out in bloom. That wi’ prickles kept our lags Vrom the skylark’s nest ov aggs; While the peewit wheel’d around Wi’ his cry up over head, Or he sped, though a-limpèn, o’er the ground. There we […]
The Do’set Militia by William Barnes
Hurrah! my lads, vor Do’set men! A-muster’d here in red ageän; All welcome to your ranks, a-spread Up zide to zide, to stand, or wheel, An’ welcome to your files, to head The steady march wi’ tooe to heel; Welcome to marches slow or quick! Welcome to gath’rèns thin or thick; God speed the Colonel […]
The Common A-Took In by William Barnes
Oh! no, Poll, no! Since they’ve a-took The common in, our lew wold nook Don’t seem a-bit as used to look When we had runnèn room; Girt banks do shut up ev’ry drong, An’ stratch wi’ thorny backs along Where we did use to run among The vuzzen an’ the broom. Ees; while the ragged […]
The Clote (Water-Lily) by William Barnes
O zummer clote! when the brook’s a-glidèn So slow an’ smooth down his zedgy bed, Upon thy broad leaves so seäfe a-ridèn The water’s top wi’ thy yollow head, By alder sheädes, O, An’ bulrush beds, O, Thou then dost float, goolden zummer clote! The grey-bough’d withy’s a leänèn lowly Above the water thy leaves […]
The Church An’ Happy Zunday by William Barnes
Ah! ev’ry day mid bring a while O’ eäse vrom all woone’s ceäre an’ tweil, The welcome evenèn, when ’tis sweet Vor tired friends wi’ weary veet, But litsome hearts o’ love, to meet; An’ yet while weekly times do roll, The best vor body an’ vor soul ‘S the church an’ happy Zunday. Vor […]
The Child’s Greäve by William Barnes
Avore the time when zuns went down On zummer’s green a-turn’d to brown, When sheädes o’ swaÿèn wheat-eärs vell Upon the scarlet pimpernel; The while you still mid goo, an’ vind ‘Ithin the geärden’s mossy wall, Sweet blossoms, low or risèn tall, To meäke a tutty to your mind, In churchyard heav’d, wi’ grassy breast, […]
The Child an’ the Mowers by William Barnes
O AYE! they had woone child bezide, An’ a finer your eyes never met, Twer a dear little fellow that died In the summer that come wi’ such het; By the mowers, too thoughtless in fun, He wer then a-zent off vrom our eyes, Vrom the light ov the dew-dryen zun,- Aye! vrom days under […]
The Castle Ruins by William Barnes
A HAPPY day at Whitsuntide, As soon ‘s the zun begun to vall, We all stroll’d up the steep hill-zide To Meldon, gret an’ small; Out where the Castle wall stood high A-mwoldren to the zunny sky. An’ there wi’ Jenny took a stroll Her youngest sister, Poll, so gay, Bezide John Hind, ah! merry […]
The Carter by William Barnes
O, I be a carter, wi’ my whip A-smackèn loud, as by my zide, Up over hill, an’ down the dip, The heavy lwoad do slowly ride. An’ I do haul in all the crops, An’ I do bring in vuzz vrom down; An’ I do goo vor wood to copse, An’ car the corn […]
The Bwoat by William Barnes
Where cows did slowly seek the brink O’ _Stour_, drough zunburnt grass, to drink; Wi’ vishèn float, that there did zink An’ rise, I zot as in a dream. The dazzlèn zun did cast his light On hedge-row blossom, snowy white, Though nothèn yet did come in zight, A-stirrèn on the straÿèn stream; Till, out […]
The Brook That Ran By Gramfer’s by William Barnes
When snow-white clouds wer thin an’ vew Avore the zummer sky o’ blue, An’ I’d noo ho but how to vind Zome plaÿ to entertaïn my mind; Along the water, as did wind Wi’ zedgy shoal an’ hollow crook, How I did ramble by the brook That ran all down vrom gramfer’s. A-holdèn out my […]
The Bells Ov Alderburnham by William Barnes
While now upon the win’ do zwell The church-bells’ evenèn peal, O, Along the bottom, who can tell How touch’d my heart do veel, O. To hear ageän, as woonce they rung In holidays when I wer young, Wi’ merry sound A-ringèn round, The bells ov Alderburnham. Vor when they rung their gaÿest peals O’ […]
The Bean Vield by William Barnes
‘Twer where the zun did warm the lewth, An’ win’ did whiver in the sheäde, The sweet-aïr’d beäns were out in blooth, Down there ‘ithin the elem gleäde; A yollow-banded bee did come, An’ softly-pitch, wi’ hushèn hum, Upon a beän, an’ there did sip, Upon a swaÿèn blossom’s lip: An’ there cried he, “Aye, […]
The Beam In Grenley Church by William Barnes
In church at Grenley woone mid zee A beam vrom wall to wall; a tree That’s longer than the church is wide, An’ zoo woone end o’n’s drough outside,– Not cut off short, but bound all round Wi’ lead, to keep en seäfe an’ sound. Back when the builders vu’st begun The church,–as still the […]
The Beäten Path by William Barnes
The beäten path where vo’k do meet A-comèn on vrom vur an’ near; How many errands had the veet That wore en out along so clear! Where eegrass bleädes be green in meäd, Where bennets up the leäze be brown, An’ where the timber bridge do leäd Athirt the cloty brook to town, Along the […]
The Bachelor by William Barnes
No! I don’t begrudge en his life, Nor his goold, nor his housen, nor lands; Teäke all o’t, an’ gi’e me my wife, A wife’s be the cheapest ov hands. Lie alwone! sigh alwone! die alwone! Then be vorgot. No! I be content wi’ my lot. Ah! where be the vingers so feäir, Vor to […]
Thatchen O’ The Rick by William Barnes
As I wer out in meäd last week, A-thatchèn o’ my little rick, There green young ee-grass, ankle-high, Did sheen below the cloudless sky; An’ over hedge in tother groun’, Among the bennets dry an’ brown, My dun wold meäre, wi’ neck a-freed Vrom Zummer work, did snort an’ veed; An’ in the sheäde o’ […]
Teaken In Apples by William Barnes
We took the apples in last week, An’ got, by night, zome eächèn backs A-stoopèn down all day to pick So many up in mawns an’ zacks. An’ there wer Liz so proud an’ prim, An’ dumpy Nan, an’ Poll so sly; An’ dapper Tom, an’ loppèn Jim, An’ little Dick, an’ Fan, an’ I. […]
Sweet Music In The Wind by William Barnes
When evenèn is a-drawèn in, I’ll steal vrom others’ naïsy din; An’ where the whirlèn brook do roll Below the walnut-tree, I’ll stroll An’ think o’ thee wi’ all my soul, Dear Jenny; while the sound o’ bells Do vlee along wi’ mwoansome zwells, Sweet music in the wind! I’ll think how in the rushy […]
Sound O’ Water by William Barnes
I born in town! oh no, my dawn O’ life broke here beside theäse lawn; Not where pent aïr do roll along, In darkness drough the wall-bound drong, An’ never bring the goo-coo’s zong, Nor sweets o’ blossoms in the hedge, Or bendèn rush, or sheenèn zedge, Or sounds o’ flowèn water. The aïr that […]
A Snowy Night by William Barnes
‘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, […]
Slow To Come, Quick Agone by William Barnes
Ah! there’s a house that I do know Besouth o’ yonder trees, Where northern winds can hardly blow But in a softest breeze. An’ there woonce sounded zongs an’ teäles Vrom vaïce o’ maïd or youth, An’ sweeter than the nightèngeäle’s Above the copses lewth. How swiftly there did run the brooks, How swift wer […]
Sleep Did Come Wi’ The Dew by William Barnes
O when our zun’s a-zinkèn low, How soft’s the light his feäce do drow Upon the backward road our mind Do turn an’ zee a-left behind; When we, in childhood’s days did vind Our jaÿ among the gil’cup flow’rs, All drough the zummer’s zunny hours; An’ sleep did come wi’ the dew. An’ afterwards, when […]
Shrodon Feäir by William Barnes
_The vu’st Peärt._ An’ zoo’s the day wer warm an’ bright, An’ nar a cloud wer up in zight, We wheedled father vor the meäre An’ cart, to goo to Shrodon feäir. An’ Poll an’ Nan run off up stairs, To shift their things, as wild as heäres; An’ pull’d out, each o’m vrom her […]