William Barnes

Third Collection. Shaftesbury Feäir

When hillborne Paladore did show
So bright to me down miles below,
As woonce the zun, a-rollèn west,
Did brighten up his hill’s high breast.
Wi’ walls a-lookèn dazzlèn white,
Or yollow, on the grey-topp’d height
Of Paladore, as peäle day wore
   Awaÿ so feäir.
Oh! how I wish’d that I wer there.

The pleäce wer too vur off to spy
The livèn vo’k a-passèn by;
The vo’k too vur vor aïr to bring
The words that they did speak or zing.
All dum’ to me wer each abode,
An’ empty wer the down-hill road
Vrom Paladore, as peäle day wore
   Awaÿ so feäir;
But how I wish’d that I wer there.

But when I clomb the lofty ground
Where livèn veet an’ tongues did sound,
At feäir, bezide your bloomèn feäce,
The pertiest in all the pleäce,
As you did look, wi’ eyes as blue
As yonder southern hills in view,
Vrom Paladore—O Polly dear,
   Wi’ you up there,
How merry then wer I at feäir.

Since vu’st I trod thik steep hill-zide
My grievèn soul ’v a-been a-tried
Wi’ païn, an’ loss o’ worldly geär,
An’ souls a-gone I wanted near;
But you be here to goo up still,
An’ look to Blackmwore vrom the hill
O’ Paladore. Zoo, Polly dear.
   We’ll goo up there,
An’ spend an hour or two at feäir.

The wold brown meäre’s a-brought vrom grass,
An’ rubb’d an’ cwomb’d so bright as glass;
An’ now we’ll hitch her in, an’ start
To feäir upon the new green cart,
An’ teäke our little Poll between
Our zides, as proud’s a little queen,
To Paladore. Aye, Poll a dear,
   Vor now ’tis feäir,
An’ she’s a-longèn to goo there.

While Paladore, on watch, do straïn
Her eyes to Blackmwore’s blue-hill’d pläin,
While Duncliffe is the traveller’s mark,
Or cloty Stour’s a-rollèn dark;
Or while our bells do call, vor greäce,
The vo’k avore their Seävior’s feäce,
Mid Paladore, an’ Poll a dear,
   Vor ever know
O’ peäce an’ plenty down below.