When we in mornen had a-drow’d
The grass or russlen hay abrode,
The lit’some maidens an’ the chaps,
Wi’ bits o’ nunchens in their laps,
Did all zit down upon the knaps
Up there, in under hedge, below
The highest elem o’ the row,
Where we did keep our flagon.
There we could zee green vields at hand,
Avore a hunderd on beyand,
An’ rows o’ trees in hedges roun’
Green meaeds, an’ zummerleaezes brown,
An’ thorns upon the zunny down,
While aier, vrom the rocken zedge
In brook, did come along the hedge,
Where we did keep our flagon.
There laughen chaps did try in play
To bury maidens up in hay,
As gigglen maidens tried to roll
The chaps down into zome deep hole,
Or sting wi’ nettles woone o’m’s poll;
While John did hele out each his drap
O’ eaele or cider, in his lap
Where he did keep the flagon.
Woone day there spun a whirlwind by
Where Jenny’s clothes wer out to dry;
An’ off vled frocks, a’most a-catch’d
By smock-frocks wi’ their sleeves outstratch’d,
An’ caps a-frill’d an’ eaeperns patch’d;
An’ she a-steaeren in a fright,
Wer glad enough to zee em light
Where we did keep our flagon.
An’ when white clover wer a-sprung
Among the eegrass, green an’ young,
An’ elder-flowers wer a-spread
Among the rwosen white an’ red,
An’ honeyzucks wi’ hangen head,—
O’ Zunday evenens we did zit
To look all roun’ the grounds a bit,
Where we’d a-kept our flagon.
Other works by William Barnes...
