 | Poems of Rural Life in the Dorset Dialect |  |
THE CASTLE RUINS.
A happy day at Whitsuntide,
As soon's the zun begun to vall,
We all stroll'd up the steep hill-zide
To Meldon, gre't an' small;
Out where the Castle wall stood high
A-mwoldrèn to the zunny sky.
As soon's the zun begun to vall,
We all stroll'd up the steep hill-zide
To Meldon, gre't an' small;
19
A-mwoldrèn to the zunny sky.
An' there wi' Jenny, took a stroll
Her youngest sister, Poll, so gaÿ,
Bezide John Hind, ah! merry soul,
An' mid her wedlock faÿ;
An' at our zides did plaÿ an' run,
My little maïd an' smaller son.
Her youngest sister, Poll, so gaÿ,
Bezide John Hind, ah! merry soul,
An' mid her wedlock faÿ;
An' at our zides did plaÿ an' run,
My little maïd an' smaller son.
Above the beäten mwold upsprung
The driven dowst, a-spreadèn light,
An' on the new-leav'd thorn, a-hung,
Wer wool a-quiv'rèn white;
An' corn, a-sheenèn bright, did bow,
On slopèn Meldon's zunny brow.
The driven dowst, a-spreadèn light,
An' on the new-leav'd thorn, a-hung,
Wer wool a-quiv'rèn white;
An' corn, a-sheenèn bright, did bow,
On slopèn Meldon's zunny brow.
There, down the rwofless wall did glow
The zun upon the grassy vloor,
An' weakly-wandrèn winds did blow,
Unhinder'd by a door;
An' smokeless now avore the zun
Did stan' the ivy-girded tun.
The zun upon the grassy vloor,
An' weakly-wandrèn winds did blow,
Unhinder'd by a door;
An' smokeless now avore the zun
Did stan' the ivy-girded tun.
My bwoy did watch the daws' bright wings
A-flappèn vrom their ivy bow'rs;
My wife did watch my maïd's light springs,
Out here an' there vor flow'rs;
An' John did zee noo tow'rs, the pleäce
Vor him had only Polly's feäce.
A-flappèn vrom their ivy bow'rs;
My wife did watch my maïd's light springs,
Out here an' there vor flow'rs;
An' John did zee noo tow'rs, the pleäce
Vor him had only Polly's feäce.
20
An' there, ov all that pried about
The walls, I overlook'd em best,
An' what o' that? Why, I meäde out
Noo mwore than all the rest:
That ther were woonce the nest of zome
That wer a-gone avore we come.
The walls, I overlook'd em best,
An' what o' that? Why, I meäde out
Noo mwore than all the rest:
That ther were woonce the nest of zome
That wer a-gone avore we come.
When woonce above the tun the smoke
Did wreathy blue among the trees,
An' down below, the livèn vo'k,
Did tweil as brisk as bees;
Or zit wi' weary knees, the while
The sky wer lightless to their tweil.
Did wreathy blue among the trees,
An' down below, the livèn vo'k,
Did tweil as brisk as bees;
Or zit wi' weary knees, the while
The sky wer lightless to their tweil.
| Poems of Rural Life in the Dorset Dialect | |