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Poems of Rural Life in the Dorset Dialect

by William Barnes. Second Collection. Second Edition

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DAY'S WORK A-DONE.

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.

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An' under skies that glitter'd white,
The while our smoke, arisèn blue,
Did melt in aiër, out o' zight,
Above the trees that kept us lew;
Wer birds a-zingèn,
Tongues a-ringèn,
Childern springèn, vull o' jaÿ,
A-finishèn the day in plaÿ.
An' back behind, a-stannèn tall,
The cliff did feäce the western light;
Avore us wer the water-fall,
A-rottlèn loud, an' foamèn white.
An' leaves did quiver,
Gnots did whiver,
By the river, where the pool,
In evenèn aïr did glissen cool.
An' childern there, a-runnèn wide,
Did plaÿ their geämes along the grove,
Vor though 'twer ouer jaÿ to bide
A-zot at rest, 'twer theirs to move.
The while my smilèn
Jeäne, beguilèn,
All my tweilèn, wi' her ceäre,
Did call me to my evenèn feäre.