The Two Churches
A happy day, a happy year.
A zummer Zunday, dazzlen clear,
I went athirt vrom Lea to Noke.
To goo to church wi’ Fanny’s vo’k:
The sky o’ blue did only show
A cloud or two, so white as snow,
An’ air did sway, wi’ softest strokes,
The eltrot roun’ the dark-bough’d woaks.
O day o’ rest when bells do toll!
O day a-blest to ev’ry soul!
How sweet the zwells o’ Zunday bells.
An’ on the cowslip-knap at Creech,
Below the grove o’ steaetely beech,
I heaerd two tow’rs a-cheemen clear,
Vrom woone I went, to woone drew near,
As they did call, by flow’ry ground,
The bright-shod veet vrom housen round,
A-drownen wi’ their holy call,
The goocoo an’ the water-vall.
Die off, O bells o’ my dear pleaece,
Ring out, O bells avore my feaece,
Vull sweet your zwells, O ding-dong bells.
Ah! then vor things that time did bring
My kinsvo’k, _Lea_ had bells to ring;
An’ then, ageaen, vor what bevell
My wife’s, why _Noke_ church had a bell;
But soon wi’ hopevul lives a-bound
In woone, we had woone tower’s sound,
Vor our high jays all vive bells rung
Our losses had woone iron tongue.
Oh! ring all round, an’ never mwoaen
So deep an’ slow woone bell alwone,
Vor sweet your swells o’ vive clear bells.
Other works by William Barnes...
