Page:Barnes (1879) Poems of rural life in the Dorset dialect (combined).djvu/78

62 Below the elder is a bed O’ robinhoods o’ blushèn red; An’ there, wi’ nunches all a-spread, &emsp;The haÿ-meäkers, wi’ each a cup &emsp;O’ drink, do smile to zee hold up &emsp;&emsp;The raïn, an’ sky a-cleärèn.

’Mid blushèn maïdens, wi’ their zong, Still draw their white-stemm’d reäkes among The long-back’d weäles an’ new-meäde pooks, By brown-stemm’d trees an’ cloty brooks; But have noo call to spweil their looks &emsp;By work, that God could never meäke &emsp;Their weaker han’s to underteäke, &emsp;&emsp;Though skies mid be a-cleärèn.

’Tis wrong vor women’s han’s to clips The zull an’ reap-hook, speädes an’ whips; An’ men abroad, should leäve, by right, Woone faïthful heart at hwome to light Their bit o’ vier up at night, &emsp;An’ hang upon the hedge to dry &emsp;Their snow-white linen, when the sky &emsp;&emsp;In winter is a-cleärèn.

vu’st along theäse road vrom mill, I zeed ye hwome all up the hill, The poplar tree, so straïght an’ tall, Did rustle by the watervall; An’ in the leäze the cows war all &emsp;A-lyèn down to teäke their rest. &emsp;An’ slowly zunk towárd the west &emsp;&emsp;The evenèn star o’ zummer.