William Barnes

Second Collection. Herrènston

Zoo then the leädy an’ the squier,
 At Chris’mas, gather’d girt an’ small,
Vor me’th, avore their roarèn vier,
 An’ roun’ their bwoard, ’ithin the hall;
An’ there, in glitt’rèn rows, between
The roun’-rimm’d pleätes, our knives did sheen,
 Wi’ frothy eäle, an’ cup an’ can,
 Vor maïd an’ man, at Herrenston.

An’ there the jeints o’ beef did stand,
 Lik’ cliffs o’ rock, in goodly row;
Where woone mid quarry till his hand
 Did tire, an’ meäke but little show;
An’ after we’d a-took our seat,
An’ greäce had been a-zaid vor meat,
 We zet to work, an’ zoo begun
 Our feäst an’ fun at Herrenston.

An’ mothers there, bezide the bwoards,
 Wi’ little childern in their laps,
Did stoop, wi’ lovèn looks an’ words,
 An’ veed em up wi’ bits an’ draps;
An’ smilèn husbands went in quest
O’ what their wives did like the best;
 An’ you’d ha’ zeed a happy zight,
 Thik merry night, at Herrenston.

An’ then the band, wi’ each his leaf
 O’ notes, above us at the zide,
Plaÿ’d up the praïse ov England’s beef
 An’ vill’d our hearts wi’ English pride;
An’ leafy chains o’ garlands hung,
Wi’ dazzlèn stripes o’ flags, that swung
 Above us, in a bleäze o’ light,
 Thik happy night, at Herrenston.

An’ then the clerk, avore the vier,
 Begun to lead, wi’ smilèn feäce,
A carol, wi’ the Monkton quire.
 That rung drough all the crowded pleäce.
An’ dins’ o’ words an’ laughter broke
In merry peals drough clouds o’ smoke;
 Vor hardly wer there woone that spoke,
 But pass’d a joke, at Herrenston.

Then man an’ maïd stood up by twos,
 In rows, drough passage, out to door,
An’ gaïly beät, wi’ nimble shoes,
 A dance upon the stwonèn floor.
But who is worthy vor to tell,
If she that then did bear the bell,
 Wer woone o’ Monkton, or o’ Ceäme,
 Or zome sweet neäme ov Herrenston.

Zoo peace betide the girt vo’k’s land,
 When they can stoop, wi’ kindly smile,
An’ teäke a poor man by the hand,
 An’ cheer en in his daily tweil.
An’ oh! mid He that’s vur above
The highest here, reward their love,
 An’ gi’e their happy souls, drough greäce,
 A higher pleäce than Herrenston.