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

In brown-leav'd Fall the wheat a-left
'Ithin its darksome bed,
Where all the creakèn roller's heft
Seal'd down its lowly head,
Sprung sheäkèn drough the crumblèn mwold,
Green-yollow, vrom below,
An' bent its bleädes, a-glitt'rèn cwold,
At last in winter snow.
Zoo luck betide
The upland zide,
Where wheat do wride,
In corn-vields wide,
By crowns o' Dorset Downs, O.

An' while the screamèn bird-bwoy shook
Wi' little zun-burnt hand,
His clacker at the bright-wing'd rook,
About the zeeded land;
His meäster there did come an' stop
His bridle-champèn meäre,
Wi' thankvul heart, to zee his crop
A-comèn up so feäir.

179

As there awhile
By geäte or stile,
He gi'ed the chile
A cheerèn smile,
By crowns o' Dorset Downs, O.

At last, wi' eärs o' darksome red,
The yollow stalks did ply,
A-swaÿèn slow, so heavy's lead,
In aïr a-blowèn by;
An' then the busy reapers laid
In row their russlén grips,
An' sheäves, a-leänèn head by head,
Did meäke the stitches tips.
Zoo food's a-vound,
A-comèn round,
Vrom zeed in ground,
To sheaves a-bound,
By crowns o' Dorset Downs, O.

An' now the wheat, in lofty lwoads,
Above the meäres' broad backs,
Do ride along the cracklèn rwoads,
Or dowsty waggon-tracks.
An' there, mid every busy pick,
Ha' work enough to do;

180

An' where, avore, we built woone rick,
Mid theäse year gi'e us two;
Wi' God our friend,
An' wealth to spend,
Vor zome good end,
That times mid mend,
In towns, an' Dorset Downs, O.

Zoo let the merry thatcher veel
Fine weather on his brow,
As he, in happy work, do kneel
Up roun' the new-built mow,
That now do zwell in sich a size,
An' rise to sich a height,
That, oh! the miller's wistful eyes
Do sparkle at the zight.
An' long mid stand,
A happy band,
To till the land,
Wi' head an' hand,
By crowns o' Dorset Downs, O.