Poems of Rural Life in the Dorset Dialect :: :: University of Virginia Library

Ov all the roads that ever bridge
Did bear athirt a river's feäce,
Or ho'ses up an' down the ridge
Did wear to doust at ev'ry peäce,
I'll teäke the Sta'bridge leäne, to tread,
By banks wi' primrwose-beds bespread,
An' steätely elems over head,
Where Ruth do come a-ridèn.

106

An' I would rise when vields be grey
Wi' mornèn dew, avore 'tis dry,
An' beät the doust droughout the day
To bluest hills ov all the sky;
If there avore the dusk o' night,
The evenèn zun, a-sheenèn bright,
Would paÿ my leäbours wi' the zight
O' Ruth—o' Ruth a-ridèn.

Her healthy feäce is rwosy feäir,
She's comely in her gaït an' lim',
An' sweet's the smile her feäce do wear,
Below her cap's well-rounded brim;
An' while her skirt 's a-spreädèn wide,
In vwolds upon the ho'se's zide,
He'll toss his head, an' snort wi' pride,
To trot wi' Ruth a-ridèn.

An' as her ho'se's rottlèn peäce
Do slacken till his veet do beät
A slower trot, an' till her feäce
Do bloom avore the tollman's geäte;
Oh! he'd be glad to open wide
His high-back'd geäte, an' stand azide,
A-givèn up his toll wi' pride,
Vor zight o' Ruth a-ridèn.

An' oh! that Ruth could be my bride,
An' I had ho'ses at my will,
That I mid teäke her by my zide,
A-ridèn over dell an' hill;

107

I'd zet wi' pride her litty tooe
'Ithin a stirrup sheenèn new,
An' leäve all other jaÿs to goo
Along wi' Ruth a-ridèn.

If maïdens that be weäk an' peäle
A-mwopèn in the house's sheäde,
Would wish to be so blithe an' heäle
As you did zee young Ruth a-meäde;
Then, though the zummer zun mid glow,
Or though the winter win' mid blow,
They'd leäp upon the saddle's bow,
An' goo, lik' Ruth, a-ridèn.

While evenèn light do sof'ly gild
The moss upon the elem's bark,
Avore the zingèn bird 's a-still'd,
Or woods be dim, or day is dark,
Wi' quiv'rèn grass avore his breast,
In cowslip beds, do lie at rest,
The ho'se that now do goo the best
Wi' rwosy Ruth a-ridèn.