صفحة 1
POEMS OF RURAL LIFE
IN THE DORSET DIALECT.
BY
WILLIAM BARNES.
LONDON:
KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, TRÜBNER & Co., LTD.
1903
TO THE READER.
Kind Reader,
Two of the three Collections of these Dorset Poems have been, for some time, out of print, and the whole of the three sets are now brought out in one volume.
I have little more to say for them, than that the writing of them as glimpses of life and landscape in Dorset, which often open to my memory and mindsight, has given me very much pleasure; and my happiness would be enhanced if I could believe that you would feel my sketches to be so truthful and pleasing as to give you even a small share of pleasure, such as that of the memories from which I have written them.
This edition has a list of such Dorset words as are found in the Poems, with some hints on Dorset word shapes, and I hope that they will be found a fully good key to the meanings of the verse.
Yours kindly,
W. BARNES
June 1879.
CONTENTS.
FIRST COLLECTION.
SPRING.
PageThe Spring 3 The Woodlands 4 Leädy-Day, an' Riddèn House 5 Easter Zunday 8 Easter Monday 9 Dock-Leaves 9 The Blackbird 10 Woodcom' Feäst 12 The Milk-Maïd o' the Farm 13 The Girt Woak Tree that's in the Dell 15 Vellèn o' the Tree 16 Bringèn Woone Gwaïn o' Zundays 17 Evenèn Twilight 18 Evenèn in the Village 20 May 20
صفحة 2
href="@public@vhost@g@gutenberg@html@files@21785@[email protected]#p22" tag="{http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml}a">Bob the Fiddler 22 Hope in Spring 23 The White Road up athirt the Hill 24 The Woody Hollow 25 Jenny's Ribbons 26 Eclogue:—The 'Lotments 28 Eclogue:—A Bit o' Sly Coortèn 30
SUMMER.
Evenèn, an' Maïdens out at Door 34 The Shepherd o' the Farm 35 Vields in the Light 36 Whitsuntide an' Club Walkèn 37 Woodley 39 The Brook that Ran by Gramfer's 41 Sleep did come wi' the Dew 42 Sweet Music in the Wind 43 Uncle an' Aunt 44 Havèn Woones Fortune a-twold 46 Jeäne's Weddèn Day in Mornèn 47 Rivers don't gi'e out 49 Meäken up a Miff
صفحة 3
href="@public@vhost@g@gutenberg@html@files@21785@[email protected]#page50" class="pginternal" tag="{http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml}a">50 Haÿ-Meäken 51 Haÿ-Carrèn 52 Eclogue:—The Best Man in the Vield 54 Where we did keep our Flagon 57 Week's End in Zummer, in the Wold Vo'k's Time 58 The Meäd a-mow'd 60 The Sky a-cleärèn 61 The Evenèn Star o' Zummer 62 The Clote 63 I got two Vields 65 Polly be-èn upzides wi' Tom 66 Be'mi'ster 67 Thatchèn o' the Rick 68 Bees a-Zwarmèn 69 Readèn ov a Head-stwone 70 Zummer Evenèn Dance 71 Eclogue:—The Veäiries 72
FALL.
Corn a-turnèn Yollow 76 A-Haulèn o' the Corn 77
صفحة 4
href="@public@vhost@g@gutenberg@html@files@21785@[email protected]#p78" tag="{http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml}a">Harvest Hwome:—The vu'st Peärt 78 Harvest Hwome:—Second Peärt 79 A Zong ov Harvest Hwome 80 Poll's Jack-Daw 82 The Ivy 83 The Welshnut Tree 84 Jenny out vrom Hwome 86 Grenley Water 86 The Veäiry Veet that I do meet 87 Mornèn 88 Out a-Nuttèn 90 Teäkèn in Apples 91 Meäple Leaves be Yollow 92 Night a-zettèn in 93 The Weather-beäten Tree 94 Shrodon Feäir:—The vu'st Peärt 95 Shrodon Feäir:—The rest o't 96 Martin's Tide 97 Guy Faux's Night 99 Eclogue:—The Common a-took in 100
صفحة 5
href="@public@vhost@g@gutenberg@html@files@21785@[email protected]#p102" tag="{http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml}a">Eclogue:—Two Farms in Woone 102
WINTER.
The Vrost 105 A Bit o' Fun 106 Fanny's Be'th-day 107 What Dick an' I did 109 Grammer's Shoes 111 Zunsheen in the Winter 112 The Weepèn Leädy 113 The Happy Days when I wer Young 115 In the Stillness o' the Night 116 The Settle an' the Girt Wood Vire 117 The Carter 118 Chris'mas Invitation 120 Keepèn up o' Chris'mas 121 Zittèn out the Wold Year 122 Woak wer Good Enough Woonce 123 Lullaby 124 Meäry-Ann's Child 125 Eclogue:—Father Come Hwome 126 Eclogue:—A Ghost
صفحة 6
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SUNDRY PIECES.
A Zong 133 The Maïd vor my Bride 134 The Hwomestead 135 The Farmer's Woldest Dā'ter 136 Uncle out o' Debt an' out o' Danger 137 The Church an' Happy Zunday 140 The Wold Waggon 141 The Drèven o' the Common 142 The Common a-took in 143 A Wold Friend 145 The Rwose that Deck'd her Breast 145 Nanny's Cow 147 The Shep'erd Bwoy 148 Hope a-left Behind 149 A Good Father 150 The Beam in Grenley Church 151 The Vaïces that be Gone 152 Poll 153 Looks a-know'd Avore 154
صفحة 7
href="@public@vhost@g@gutenberg@html@files@21785@[email protected]#p155" tag="{http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml}a">The Music o' the Dead 155 The Pleäce a Teäle's a-twold o' 156 Aunt's Tantrums 158 The Stwonèn Pworch 159 Farmer's Sons 160 Jeäne 161 The Dree Woaks 162 The Hwomestead a-vell into Hand 164 The Guide Post 166 Gwain to Feäir 167 Jeäne o' Grenley Mill 168 The Bells ov Alderburnham 169 The Girt Wold House o' Mossy Stwone 170 A Witch 173 Eclogue:—The Times 175