Poem by William Barnes

Third Collection. Two an’ Two

The zun, O Jessie, while his feäce do rise
 In vi’ry skies, a-sheddèn out his light
On yollow corn a-weävèn down below
 His yollow glow, is gaÿ avore the zight.
  By two an’ two,
  How goodly things do goo,
 A-matchèn woone another to fulvill
 The goodness ov their Meäkfèr’s will.

How bright the spreadèn water in the lew
 Do catch the blue, a-sheenèn vrom the sky;
How true the grass do teäke the dewy bead
 That it do need, while dousty roads be dry.
  By peäir an’ peäir
  Each thing’s a-meäde to sheäre
 The good another can bestow,
 In wisdom’s work down here below.

The lowest lim’s o’ trees do seldom grow
 A-spread too low to gi’e the cows a sheäde;
The aïr’s to bear the bird, the bird’s to rise;
 Vor light the eyes, vor eyes the light’s a-meäde.
  ’Tis gi’e an’ teäke,
  An’ woone vor others’ seäke;
 In peäirs a-workèn out their ends,
 Though men be foes that should be friends.

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

Print

1259 Views

Last Poems

To Russian version