Poem by William Barnes

Second Collection. I know Who

Aye, aye, vull rathe the zun mus’ rise
To meäke us tired o’ zunny skies,
A-sheenèn on the whole day drough,
From mornèn’s dawn till evenèn’s dew.
When trees be brown an’ meäds be green,
An’ skies be blue, an’ streams do sheen,
An’ thin-edg’d clouds be snowy white
Above the bluest hills in zight;
But I can let the daylight goo,
When I’ve a-met wi’—I know who.

In Spring I met her by a bed
O’ laurels higher than her head;
The while a rwose hung white between
Her blushes an’ the laurel’s green;
An’ then in Fall, I went along
The row of elems in the drong,
An’ heärd her zing bezide the cows,
By yollow leaves o’ meäple boughs;
But Fall or Spring is feäir to view
When day do bring me—I know who.

An’ when, wi’ wint’r a-comèn roun’,
The purple he’th’s a-feädèn brown,
An’ hangèn vern’s a-sheäkèn dead,
Bezide the hill’s besheäded head:
An’ black-wing’d rooks do glitter bright
Above my head, in peäler light;
Then though the birds do still the glee
That sounded in the zummer tree,
My heart is light the winter drough,
In me’th at night, wi’—I know who.

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

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