Poems of Rural Life in the Dorset Dialect/Day's Work a-done

by William Barnes

DAY’S WORK A-DONE.

And oh! the jaÿ our rest did yield,
 At evenèn by the mossy wall,
When we’d a-work’d all day a-vield,
 While zummer zuns did rise an’ vall,
  As there a-lettèn
  Goo all frettèn.
An’ vorgettèn all our tweils,
We zot among our childern’s smiles.

An’ under skies that glitter’d white,
 The while our smoke, arisèn blue,
Did melt in aiër, out o’ zight,
 Above the trees that kept us lew;
  Wer birds a-zingèn,
  Tongues a-ringèn,
Childern springèn, vull o’ jaÿ,
A-finishèn the day in plaÿ.

An’ back behind, a-stannèn tall,
 The cliff did sheen to western light;
An’ while avore the water-vall,
 A-rottlèn loud, an’ foamèn white.
  The leaves did quiver,
  Gnots did whiver,
By the river, where the pool,
In evenèn aïr did glissen cool.

An’ childern there, a-runnèn wide,
 Did plaÿ their geämes along the grove,
Vor though to us ’twer jaÿ to bide
 At rest, to them ’twer jaÿ to move.
  The while my smilèn
  Jeäne, beguilèn,
All my tweilèn, wi’ her ceäre,
Did call me to my evenèn feäre.