Poems and Lancashire Songs :: :: University of Virginia Library

I see'd a thowtful chap one day,
His face were mild, his toppin' gray!
Wi' wanderin' fuut he went astray,
Deawn yon lone:
I axed a lame owd mon i'th road,
To tell me what that chap were co'd;
Says he, “I thowt oitch body knowed
Gentle Jone!”

284

II

“Owd lad,” said I, “just look heaw ronk
These daisies groo'n at th' edge o'th bonk;
Let's keawer us deawn, an' have a conk,—
Just whol noon.”
He poo'd a reech o' bacco eawt,
An' cheese an' moufin in a cleawt;
An' then began to tell abeawt
Gentle Jone!

III

Says he, “Some folk o' brass are fond;
They're cowd i'th heart, an' cramp't i'th hond;

285

But yon's the fleawer of o' this lond,—
Gentle Jone!
His heart's as true as guinea-gowd;
He's good to folk at's ill an' owd;
Childer poo'n his lap i'th fowd,—
Gentle Jone!

IV

“I'll bet a creawn he's off to th' valo,
To yer some crayter's soory tale;
I never knowed his kindness fail,—
Gentle Jone!
O'er hill, an' cloof, an' moss, an' moor,
He's reet weel known to folk at's poo
A welcome fuut at every door,—
Gentle Jone!

286

V

“He taks delight i' roving round,
To root i' nooks where sorrow's found;
He comes like rain to drufty ground,—
Gentle Jone!
He's very slow at thinkin' ill;
He'll pass a faut wi' reet good will;
An' doin' good's his pastime still,—
Gentle Jone!

VI

“An' when I broke this poor owd limb,
I should ha' dee'd except for him.”
He said no moor; his e'en geet dim,—
Mine were th' same:

287

“Owd brid,” said I, “let's have a gill!”
“Naw, naw,” said he, “I'm noan so weel;
It's time to paddle deawn this hill,
To th' owd dame.”

VII

'Twere nearly noon, i'th month o' May;
We said we'd meet another day;
An' then th' owd crayter limped away
Deawn th' green lone
An' neaw, let's do the thing that's reet,
An' then, when death puts eawt er leet,
We's haply ston a chance to meet
Gentle Jone!

I see'd a thowtful, I saw a thoughtful.

Toppin', the hair on the front of the head.

Lone, lane.

Co'd, called.

Oitch body, each body, each person.

Ronk, rank, abundant.

Bonk, a bank of land, a gentle slope.

Conk, a chat.

Whol, while, until.

Reech, a smoke.

Moufin in a cleawt, muffin in a clout, or kerchief, or cloth.

Brass, money.

They're cowd i'th heart, an' cramp't i'th hond, they are cold in the heart, and cramped in the hand.

Guinea-gowd, guinea gold, or gold without alloy.

Owd, old.

Fowd, fold.

Soory, sorry.

Cloof, clough glen.

Reet weel, right well.

Drufty, droughty, parched.

Pass a faut, forgives a fault, or an offence.

Noan so well, not very well.

Put eawt er leet, puts out our light.