Poem by William Barnes

First Collection. Sundry Pieces. The Bells ov Alderburnham

While now upon the win’ do zwell
 The church-bells’ evenèn peal, O,
Along the bottom, who can tell
 How touch’d my heart do veel, O.
To hear ageän, as woonce they rung
In holidays when I wer young,
   Wi’ merry sound
   A-ringèn round,
 The bells ov Alderburnham.

Vor when they rung their gaÿest peals
 O’ zome sweet day o’ rest, O,
We all did ramble drough the viels,
 A-dress’d in all our best, O;
An’ at the bridge or roarèn weir,
Or in the wood, or in the gleäre
   Ov open ground,
   Did hear ring round
 The bells ov Alderburnham.

They bells, that now do ring above
 The young brides at church-door, O,
Woonce rung to bless their mother’s love,
 When they were brides avore, O.
An’ sons in tow’r do still ring on
The merry peals o’ fathers gone,
   Noo mwore to sound,
   Or hear ring round,
 The bells ov Alderburnham.

Ov happy peäirs, how soon be zome
 A-wedded an’ a-peärted!
Vor woone ov jaÿ, what peals mid come
 To zome o’s broken-hearted!
The stronger mid the sooner die,
The gaÿer mid the sooner sigh;
   An’ who do know
   What grief’s below
 The bells ov Alderburnham!

But still ’tis happiness to know
 That there’s a God above us;
An’ he, by day an’ night, do ho
 Vor all ov us, an’ love us,
An’ call us to His house, to heal
Our hearts, by his own Zunday peal
   Ov bells a-rung
   Vor wold an’ young.
 The bells ov Alderburnham.

1. Second Collection. Light or Sheäde
2. Third Collection. Shaftesbury Feäir
3. Third Collection. The Neäme Letters
4. Third Collection. Tweil
5. Second Collection. Slow to come, quick agone

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