Poems of Rural Life in the Dorset Dialect by William Barnes. Second Collection. Second Edition |
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THE STAGE COACH. |
 | Poems of Rural Life in the Dorset Dialect |  |
THE STAGE COACH.
Ah! when the wold vo'k went abroad
They thought it vast enough,
If vow'r good hosses 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 swiftly round.
They thought it vast enough,
If vow'r good hosses 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 swiftly round.
Noo iron raïls did streak the land
To keep the wheels in track.
The coachman turn'd his vow'r-in-hand,
Out right, or left, an' back;
An' he'd stop avore
A man's own door,
To teäke en up or down:
While the reïns vell slack,
On the ho'ses' back,
Till the wheels did rottle round ageän;
Till the wheels did rottle round.
To keep the wheels in track.
The coachman turn'd his vow'r-in-hand,
Out right, or left, an' back;
109
A man's own door,
To teäke en up or down:
While the reïns vell slack,
On the ho'ses' back,
Till the wheels did rottle round ageän;
Till the wheels did rottle round.
An' there, when wintry win' did blow,
Athirt the plaïn an' hill,
An' the zun wer' peäle above the snow,
An' ice did stop the mill,
They did laugh an' joke
Wi' cwoat or cloke,
So warmly roun' em bound,
While the whip did crack
On the ho'ses' back,
An' the wheels did trundle round, d'ye know;
The wheels did trundle round.
Athirt the plaïn an' hill,
An' the zun wer' peäle above the snow,
An' ice did stop the mill,
They did laugh an' joke
Wi' cwoat or cloke,
So warmly roun' em bound,
While the whip did crack
On the ho'ses' back,
An' the wheels did trundle round, d'ye know;
The wheels did trundle round.
An' when the rumblèn coach did pass
Where hufflèn winds did roar,
They'd stop to teäke a warmèn glass
By the sign above the door;
An' did laugh an' joke
An' ax the vo'k
The miles they wer vrom town,
Till the whip did crack
On the ho'ses' back,
An' the wheels did truckle roun', good vo'k;
The wheels did truckle roun'.
Where hufflèn winds did roar,
They'd stop to teäke a warmèn glass
By the sign above the door;
An' did laugh an' joke
An' ax the vo'k
110
Till the whip did crack
On the ho'ses' back,
An' the wheels did truckle roun', good vo'k;
The wheels did truckle roun'.
An' gaïly rod wold age or youth,
When zummer light did vall
On woods in leaf, or trees in blooth,
Or girt vo'ks parkzide wall.
An' they thought they past
The pleäces vast,
Along the dousty groun',
When the whip did smack
On the ho'ses' back,
An' the wheels spun swiftly roun'. Them days
The wheels spun swiftly roun'.
When zummer light did vall
On woods in leaf, or trees in blooth,
Or girt vo'ks parkzide wall.
An' they thought they past
The pleäces vast,
Along the dousty groun',
When the whip did smack
On the ho'ses' back,
An' the wheels spun swiftly roun'. Them days
The wheels spun swiftly roun'.
| Poems of Rural Life in the Dorset Dialect | |