The later poems of John Clare 1837-1864 ... General editor Eric Robinson: Edited by Eric Robinson and David Powell: Associate editor Margaret Grainger |
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THE MILKING O' THE KYE |
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 | The later poems of John Clare |  |
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THE MILKING O' THE KYE
The wagtail flies about wi' her snow white throat And the robin sings at even by the old pig stye
By the time the pigeons are all in the caute And Peggy up the homestead is bringing up the kye
The little merry bluecap pops i' the old barn wall And the old crow on her nest in the old pollard tree
The swallow swithers past and the cuckoo gies a call When I stand by Peggy milking and none kens me
By the time the pigeons are all in the caute And Peggy up the homestead is bringing up the kye
The little merry bluecap pops i' the old barn wall And the old crow on her nest in the old pollard tree
The swallow swithers past and the cuckoo gies a call When I stand by Peggy milking and none kens me
O' Peggy[s] like an angel wi' out a wing to flee
And Peggy's like a young thing and her feet are very small
Peggy's got a small hand [and] fairer will she be
When she gets a twelvemonth older she'll fairly beat them all
As fair as the oak apples upon the pollard tree
Is Peggy's cheek and chin and bright her hazle eye
Where the wren has built her nest Eve's star is oe'r the shed
I gang to love young Peggy at the milking o' the kye
And Peggy's like a young thing and her feet are very small
Peggy's got a small hand [and] fairer will she be
When she gets a twelvemonth older she'll fairly beat them all
As fair as the oak apples upon the pollard tree
Is Peggy's cheek and chin and bright her hazle eye
Where the wren has built her nest Eve's star is oe'r the shed
I gang to love young Peggy at the milking o' the kye
The robin sings his song on the old rig tree
The wren he bears him company upon the bonny brere
They are two little birds as happy as can be
And they come and sing o' Sundays the whole of the year
They come and sing o' Sundays to Peggy and to me
And the robin drops him down wi' his coal black eye
A pretty perk bird Peggy dearly loved to see
And litters him some crumbs at the milking o the kye
The wren he bears him company upon the bonny brere
They are two little birds as happy as can be
And they come and sing o' Sundays the whole of the year
They come and sing o' Sundays to Peggy and to me
And the robin drops him down wi' his coal black eye
A pretty perk bird Peggy dearly loved to see
And litters him some crumbs at the milking o the kye
O' its happiness to feel in a bumbarrel's nest
And to look on the hedgesparrows eggs pearl blue
And its more than pleasant when the sun is in the west
A walking out wi' Peggy the grass before the dew
To kiss her bonny cheek and her lilly neck to clasp
And look for little babys in the sparkling of her eye
From her proud sunday bonnet to drive away the whasp
And stand behind and kiss her at the milking o the kye
And to look on the hedgesparrows eggs pearl blue
And its more than pleasant when the sun is in the west
A walking out wi' Peggy the grass before the dew
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And look for little babys in the sparkling of her eye
From her proud sunday bonnet to drive away the whasp
And stand behind and kiss her at the milking o the kye
| The later poems of John Clare | |