Poem by William Barnes

First Collection. Sundry Pieces. The Maïd vor my Bride

Ah! don’t tell o’ maïdens! the woone vor my bride
Is little lik’ too many maïdens bezide,—
Not brantèn, nor spitevul, nor wild; she’ve a mind
To think o’ what’s right, an’ a heart to be kind.

She’s straïght an’ she’s slender, but not over tall,
Wi’ lim’s that be lightsome, but not over small;
The goodness o’ heaven do breathe in her feäce,
An’ a queen, to be steätely, must walk wi’ her peäce.

Her frocks be a-meäde all becomèn an’ plaïn,
An’ clean as a blossom undimm’d by a staïn;
Her bonnet ha’ got but two ribbons, a-tied
Up under her chin, or let down at the zide.

When she do speak to woone, she don’t steäre an’ grin;
There’s sense in her looks, vrom her eyes to her chin,
An’ her words be so kind, an’ her speech is so meek,
As her eyes do look down a-beginnèn to speak.

Her skin is so white as a lily, an’ each
Ov her cheäks is so downy an’ red as a peach;
She’s pretty a-zittèn; but oh! how my love
Do watch her to madness when woonce she do move.

An’ when she do walk hwome vrom church drough the groun’,
Wi’ woone eärm in mine, an’ wi’ woone a-hung down,
I do think, an’ do veel mwore o’ sheäme than o’ pride,
That do meäke me look ugly to walk by her zide.

Zoo don’t talk o’ maïden’s! the woone vor my bride
Is but little lik’ too many maïdens bezide,—
Not brantèn, nor spitevul, nor wild; she’ve a mind
To think o’ what’s right, an’ a heart to be kind.

1. Second Collection. The Linden on the Lawn
2. Second Collection. When Birds be Still
3. First Collection. Summer. Week’s End in Zummer, in the Wold Vo’k’s Time
4. Second Collection. I know Who
5. Third Collection. Went vrom Hwome

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