Page:Barnes (1879) Poems of rural life in the Dorset dialect (combined).djvu/39

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happy times a while agoo, &emsp;My lively hope, that’s now a-gone Did stir my heart the whole year drough, &emsp;But mwost when green-bough’d spring come on: When I did rove, wi’ litty veet, Drough deäisy-beds so white’s a sheet, But still avore I us’d to meet &emsp;The blushèn cheäks that bloom’d vor me!

An’ afterward, in lightsome youth, &emsp;When zummer wer a-comèn on, An’ all the trees wer white wi’ blooth, &emsp;An’ dippèn zwallows skimm’d the pon’; Sweet hope did vill my heart wi’ jaÿ, An’ tell me, though thik spring wer gaÿ, There still would come a brighter Maÿ, &emsp;Wi’ blushèn cheäks to bloom vor me!

An’ when, at last, the time come roun’, &emsp;An’ brought a lofty zun to sheen Upon my smilèn Fanny, down &emsp;Drough nēsh young leaves o’ yollow green; How charmèn wer the het that glow’d, How charmèn wer the sheäde a-drow’d, How charmèn wer the win’ that blow’d &emsp;Upon her cheäks that bloom’d vor me!

But hardly did they times begin, &emsp;Avore I vound em short to staÿ: An’ year by year do now come in, &emsp;To peärt me wider vrom my jaÿ, Vor what’s to meet, or what’s to peärt, Wi’ maïdens kind, or maïdens smart, When hope’s noo longer in the heart, &emsp;An’ cheäks noo mwore do bloom vor me!