Poems of Rural Life in the Dorset Dialect

Two of the three Collections of these Dorset Poems have been, for some time, out of print, and the whole of the three sets are now brought out in one volume.

Well, zoo, avore the east begun To redden wi' the comèn zun, We left the beds our mossy thatch Wer never mwore to overstratch, An' borrow'd uncle's wold hoss _Dragon_, To bring...

When evenèn's risèn moon did peep Down drough the hollow dark an' deep, Where gigglèn sweethearts meäde their vows In whispers under waggèn boughs; When whisslèn bwoys, an' rott...

An' Poll too wer a-bid bewar O' what the letter _F_ stood vor; An' then, because she took, at _F_eäir, A bosom-pin o' Jimmy Heäre, Young _F_ranky beät en black an' blue. 'Tis _F...

Oh! then there's nothèn that's 'ithout Thy hills that I do ho about,-- Noo bigger pleäce, noo gaÿer town, Beyond thy sweet bells' dyèn soun', As they do ring, or strike the hour...

Avore the maïden's sleep's a-broke By window-strikèn zun, Avore the busy wife's vu'st smoke Do curl above the tun, My day's begun. An' when the zun 'S a-zinkèn in the west, The...

Zoo up I clomb upon the thatch, An' clapp'd en on; an' slided Right down ageän, an' run drough hatch, Behind the hedge, an' hided. The vier that wer clear avore, Begun to spweil...

Aye, I do mind I heärd his son, young Sammy, Tell how the chairs did dance an' doors did slammy; He stood to it--though zome vo'k woulden heed en-- He didden only hear the ghost...

An' mind en still when in the end His leäbour's all a-done, John, An' let en vind a steadvast friend In thee his thoughtvul son, John; Vor he did win what thou didst lack Avore...

Don't talk ov housen all o' brick, Wi' rockèn walls nine inches thick, A-trigg'd together zide by zide In streets, wi' fronts a straddle wide, Wi' yards a-sprinkled wi' a mop, T...

An' there, a-vell'd 'ithin the copse, Below the timber's new-leav'd tops, Wer ashèn poles, a-castèn straïght, On primrwose beds, their langthy waïght; Below the yollow light, a-...

She bore a basket that did ride So light, she didden leän azide; Her feäce wer oval, an' she smil'd So sweet's a child, but walk'd wi' pride. I spoke to her, but what I zaid I d...

Oh! aye! the spring 'ithin the leäne, A-leäden down to Lyddan Brook; An' still a-nesslèn in his nook, As weeks do pass, an' moons do weäne. Nwone the drier, Nwone the higher, Nw...

Zoo come along, noo longer heedvul Ov the viër, leätely needvul, Over grass o' slopèn leäzes, Zingèn zongs in zunny breezes; Out to work in copse, a-mootèn, Where the primrwose...

At Easter, though the wind wer high, We vound we had a zunny sky, An' zoo wold Dobbin had to trudge His dousty road by knap an' brudge, An' jog, wi' hangèn vetterlocks A-sheäkèn...

An' then ageän, when you could slight The clock a-strikèn leäte at night, The while the moon, wi' risèn rim, Did light the beeches' eastern lim'. When I'd a-bound your vinger ro...

An' there do zing the swingèn lark So gaÿ's above the finest park, An' day do sheäde my trees as true As any steätely avenue; An' show'ry clouds o' Spring do pass To shed their...

"Zee how the winds, while here by the bough, --in the night, They do pass on, don't smite on her brow, in the night; Zee how the cloud-sheädes naïseless do zweep Over the house-...

I buy your ceäpe! No; Joe wull screäpe Up dibs enough to buy your ceäpe. As things do look, to meäke you fine Is long Joe's business mwore than mine.

No, no, good Meäster Collins cried, Why you've a good wife at your zide; Zoo do believe the heart is true That gi'ed up all bezide vor you, An' still beheäve as you begun To see...

'Tis true I brought noo fortune hwome Wi' Jenny, vor her honey-moon, But still a goodish hansel come Behind her perty soon, Vor stick, an' dish, an' spoon, all vell To Jeäne, vr...

We zot bezide the leäfy wall, Upon the bench at evenfall, While aunt led off our minds vrom ceäre Wi' veäiry teäles, I can't tell where: An' vound us woone among her stock O' fe...

The maïd that selfish craft led on To sin, an' left wi' hope a-blighted; Starvèn workmen, thin an' wan, Wi' hopeless leäbour ill requited; Souls a-wrong'd, an' call'd to vill Wi...

The _en_ sometimes at the end of words means not, as bisse'n, bist not; coust'en, cous'n, could'st not; I didd'n, I did not; diss'n, didst not; hadd'n, had not; muss'n, must not...