Poems of Rural Life in the Dorset Dialect

[Transcriber's Note: The Pronunciation Guide and Word List are at the end of the book.]

POEMS OF RURAL LIFE IN THE DORSET DIALECT.

BY WILLIAM BARNES.

LONDON: KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, TRUeBNER & Co., LTD. 1903

TO THE READER.

KIND READER,

Two of the three Collections of these Dorset Poems have been, for some time, out of print, and the whole of the three sets are now brought out in one volume.

I have little more to say for them, than that the writing of them as glimpses of life and landscape in Dorset, which often open to my memory and mindsight, has given me very much pleasure; and my happiness would be enhanced if I could believe that you would feel my sketches to be so truthful and pleasing as to give you even a small share of pleasure, such as that of the memories from which I have written them.

This edition has a list of such Dorset words as are found in the Poems, with some hints on Dorset word shapes, and I hope that they will be found a fully good key to the meanings of the verse.

Yours kindly,

W. BARNES

June 1879.

CONTENTS.

FIRST COLLECTION.

SPRING.

The Spring 3 The Woodlands 4 Leaedy-Day, an' Ridden House 5 Easter Zunday 8 Easter Monday 9 Dock-Leaves 9 The Blackbird 10 Woodcom' Feaest 12 The Milk-Maid o' the Farm 13 The Girt Woak Tree that's in the Dell 15 Vellen o' the Tree 16 Bringen Woone Gwain o' Zundays 17 Evenen Twilight 18 Evenen in the Village 20 May 20 Bob the Fiddler 22 Hope in Spring 23 The White Road up athirt the Hill 24 The Woody Hollow 25 Jenny's Ribbons 26 Eclogue:--The 'Lotments 28 Eclogue:--A Bit o' Sly Coorten 30

SUMMER.

Evenen, an' Maidens out at Door 34 The Shepherd o' the Farm 35 Vields in the Light 36 Whitsuntide an' Club Walken 37 Woodley 39 The Brook that Ran by Gramfer's 41 Sleep did come wi' the Dew 42 Sweet Music in the Wind 43 Uncle an' Aunt 44 Haven Woones Fortune a-twold 46 Jeaene's Wedden Day in Mornen 47 Rivers don't gi'e out 49 Meaeken up a Miff 50 Hay-Meaeken 51 Hay-Carren 52 Eclogue:--The Best Man in the Vield 54 Where we did keep our Flagon 57 Week's End in Zummer, in the Wold Vo'k's Time 58 The Meaed a-mow'd 60 The Sky a-cleaeren 61 The Evenen Star o' Zummer 62 The Clote 63 I got two Vields 65 Polly be-en upzides wi' Tom 66 Be'mi'ster 67 Thatchen o' the Rick 68 Bees a-Zwarmen 69 Readen ov a Head-stwone 70 Zummer Evenen Dance 71 Eclogue:--The Veaeiries 72

FALL.

Corn a-turnen Yollow 76 A-Haulen o' the Corn 77 Harvest Hwome:--The vu'st Peaert 78 Harvest Hwome:--Second Peaert 79 A Zong ov Harvest Hwome 80 Poll's Jack-Daw 82 The Ivy 83 The Welshnut Tree 84 Jenny out vrom Hwome 86 Grenley Water 86 The Veaeiry Veet that I do meet 87 Mornen 88 Out a-Nutten 90 Teaeken in Apples 91 Meaeple Leaves be Yollow 92 Night a-zetten in 93 The Weather-beaeten Tree 94 Shrodon Feaeir:--The vu'st Peaert 95 Shrodon Feaeir:--The rest o't 96 Martin's Tide 97 Guy Faux's Night 99 Eclogue:--The Common a-took in 100 Eclogue:--Two Farms in Woone 102

WINTER.

The Vrost 105 A Bit o' Fun 106 Fanny's Be'th-day 107 What Dick an' I did 109 Grammer's Shoes 111 Zunsheen in the Winter 112 The Weepen Leaedy 113 The Happy Days when I wer Young 115 In the Stillness o' the Night 116 The Settle an' the Girt Wood Vire 117 The Carter 118 Chris'mas Invitation 120 Keepen up o' Chris'mas 121 Zitten out the Wold Year 122 Woak wer Good Enough Woonce 123 Lullaby 124 Meaery-Ann's Child 125 Eclogue:--Father Come Hwome 126 Eclogue:--A Ghost 129

SUNDRY PIECES.

A Zong 133 The Maid vor my Bride 134 The Hwomestead 135 The Farmer's Woldest D[=a]'ter 136 Uncle out o' Debt an' out o' Danger 137 The Church an' Happy Zunday 140 The Wold Waggon 141 The Dreven o' the Common 142 The Common a-took in 143 A Wold Friend 145 The Rwose that Deck'd her Breast 145 Nanny's Cow 147 The Shep'erd Bwoy 148 Hope a-left Behind 149 A Good Father 150 The Beam in Grenley Church 151 The Vaices that be Gone 152 Poll 153 Looks a-know'd Avore 154 The Music o' the Dead 155 The Pleaece a Teaele's a-twold o' 156 Aunt's Tantrums 158 The Stwonen Pworch 159 Farmer's Sons 160 Jeaene 161 The Dree Woaks 162 The Hwomestead a-vell into Hand 164 The Guide Post 166 Gwain to Feaeir 167 Jeaene o' Grenley Mill 168 The Bells ov Alderburnham 169 The Girt Wold House o' Mossy Stwone 170 A Witch 173 Eclogue:--The Times 175

* * * * *

SECOND COLLECTION.

Blackmwore Maidens 185 My Orcha'd in Linden Lea 186 Bishop's Caundle 187 Hay Meaeken--Nunchen Time 189 A Father out an' Mother Hwome 191 Riddles 192 Day's Work a-done 196 Light or Sheaede 197 The Waggon a-stooded 197 Gwain down the Steps 201 Ellen Brine ov Allenburn 202 The Motherless Child 203 The Leaedy's Tower 204 Fatherhood 208 The Maid o' Newton 211 Childhood 212 Meaery's Smile 213 Meaery Wedded 214 The Stwonen Bwoy 215 The Young that died in Beauty 217 Faeir Emily of Yarrow Mill 218 The Scud 219 Minden House 221 The Lovely Maid ov Elwell Meaed 222 Our Fathers' Works 224 The Wold vo'k Dead 225 Culver Dell and the Squire 227 Our Be'thplace 229 The Window freaemed wi' Stwone 230 The Waterspring in the Leaene 231 The Poplars 232 The Linden on the Lawn 233 Our abode in Arby Wood 235 Slow to come, quick agone 236 The Vier-zide 236 Knowlwood 238 Hallowed Pleaeces 240 The Wold Wall 242 Bleaeke's House 243 John Bleaeke at Hwome 245 Milken Time 247 When Birds be Still 248 Riden Hwome at Night 249 Zun-zet. 250 Spring 252 The Zummer Hedge 253 The Water Crowvoot 254 The Lilac 255 The Blackbird 256 The Slanten light o' Fall 257 Thissledown 259 The May-tree 259 The Lydlinch Bells 260 The Stage Coach 261 Wayfeaeren 263 The Leaene 265 The Railroad 267 The Railroad 268 Seats 268 Sound o' Water 270 Trees be Company 270 A Pleaece in Zight 272 Gwain to Brookwell 273 Brookwell 275 The Shy Man 277 The Winter's Willow 279 I know Who 281 Jessie Lee 282 True Love 283 The Beaen-vield 284 Wold Friends a-met 286 Fifehead 288 Ivy Hall 289 False Friends-like 290 The Bachelor 290 Married Peaeir's Love-walk 292 A Wife a-prais'd 293 The Wife a-lost 295 The Thorns in the Geaete 296 Angels by the Door 297 Vo'k a-comen into Church 298 Woone Rule 299 Good Meaester Collins 300 Herrenston 302 Out at Plough 304 The Bwoat 306 The Pleaece our own agean 307 Eclogue:--John an' Thomas 308 Pentridge by the River 310 Wheat 311 The Meaed in June 313 Early risen 315 Zelling woone's Honey 316 Dobbin Dead 317 Happiness 319 Gruffmoody Grim 320 The Turn o' the Days 322 The Sparrow Club 323 Gammony Gay 325 The Heaere 327 Nanny Gill 329 Moonlight on the Door 330 My Love's Guardian Angel 331 Leeburn Mill 332 Praise o' Do'set 333