Yorkshire Dialect Poems Part 10

There, back an' forrad, in an' out, His elbow it gaas silting,(3) An' to an' fro, an' round about, The dancers they are lilting.

Some dance wi' ease i' splendid style, Wi' tightly-fitting togs on, Whal others b.u.mp about all t' while, Like drainers wit their clogs on, Sae numb'd that neet.

An' when they've reel'd an' danc'd their fling, Their chairs all round are ranged; They tell droll tales, they laugh, they sing, An' jokes are interchanged.

A merry tune t' girt kettle sings, An' t' fire is blazing breetly ; Wi' cheerful din t' owd farmhouse rings, An' hours fly ower them sweetly An' swift that neet.

T' owd women preach an' talk about Their claes being owd an' rotten, An' still being forc'd to speck an' clout,(4) It's sich a price is cotton.

T' owd men sit round, wi' pipe an' gla.s.s, In earnest conversation; On t' ways an' means o' saving bra.s.s, An' t' rules an' t' laws o' t' nation, They talk that neet.

Now girt lang Jack, that lives on t' moor, Wi' cunning an' wi' caution, Is beckoning Moll to gang to t' door Wi' sly mischievous motion.

Moll taks the hint, nor thinks it wrang, Her heart that way inclining; She says to t' rest she thinks she'll gang To see if t' stars are shining Out clear that neet.

Then down a field they tak a walk, An' then they wend their way back; To have a bit o' pleasant talk They shelter under t' haystack.

She did not say "For shame!" not she, Though oft-times Johnny kiss'd her; She said she just would run an' see If t' other folks had missed her Frae t' room that neet.

A chap that had two watchful een, Of which they waren't thinking, When peeping round that neet, had seen Long Jack at Molly winking.

Says he, "Now's t' time to have a stir, Let's just gang out an' watch her; We's have some famous fun wi' her, If we can n.o.bbut catch her Wi' him this neet.

Then two or three, bent on a spree, Out to the door gang thungein',(5) But hauf a yard they scarce could see, It was as dark as dungeon.

Jack hears their footsteps coming slow, An' frae her side he slinks off; Runs round t' house-end, jumps ower a wa', An' up ower t' knee i' t' sink-trough He splash'd that neet.

Now, ye young men, be who ye may, That's bent on fun an' sportin', Whare'er ye be, by neet or day, Remember Jack's misfortin.

Though things unlook'd for on ye creep, Don't do owt in a splutter; But learn to look befoor ye leap, Lest ye in some deep gutter Stick fast some neet.

1. Busily. 2. Clear away. 3. Rising up.

4. Mend and patch. 5. Thumping.

Nelly o' Bob's

John Hartley (1839-1915)

Who is it at lives i' that cot on the lea, Joy o' my heart an' leet o' my ee?

Who is that la.s.s at's so dear unto me?

Nelly o' Bob's o' t' Crowtrees.

Who is it goes trippin' ower dew-spangled gra.s.s, Singin' so sweetly? Shoo smiles as I pa.s.s, Bonniest, rosy-cheek'd, gay-hearted la.s.s!

Nelly o' Bob's o' t' Crowtrees.

Who is it I see i' my dreams of a neet ?

Who lovingly whispers words tender an' sweet, Till I wakken to find shoo's nowheer i' t' seet?

Nelly o' Bob's o' t' Crowtrees.

Who is it at leads me so lively a donce, Yet to tawk serious ne'er gies me a chonce, An' niver replied when I begged on her once?

Nelly o' Bob's o' t' Crowtrees.

Who is it at ivery chap's hankerin' to get, Yet tosses her heead an' flies off in a pet, As mich as to say, "You've not getten me yet"?

Nelly o' Bob's o' t' Crowtrees.

Who is it could mak life a long summer's day, Whose smile would drive sorrow an' trouble away, An' mak t' hardest wark, if for her, seem like play?

Nelly o' Bob's o' t' Crowtrees.

Who is it I'll have if I've iver a wife, An' love her, her only, to th' end o' my life, An' nurse her i' sickness, an' guard her from strife?

Nelly o' Bob's o' t' Crowtrees.

Who is it at's promised, to-neet if it's fine, To meet me at t' corner o' t' mistal(1) at nine?

Why, it's her at I've langed for so long to mak mine- Nelly o' Bob's o' t' Crowtrees.

1. Cow-Shed

Bite Bigger

John Hartley

As I hurried through t' taan to my wark, -I were lat,(1) for all t' buzzers had gooan- I happen'd to hear a remark At 'ud fotch tears thro' th' heart of a stooan.

It were rainin', an' snawin', an' cowd, An' th' flagstones were cover'd wi' muck, An' th' east wind both whistled an' howl'd, It saanded like nowt bud ill luck.

When two little lads, donn'd(2) i' rags, Baat(3) stockin's or shoes o' their feet, Com trapsin' away ower t' flags, Boath on 'em sodden'd wi' t' weet.

Th' owdest mud happen be ten, T' young un be haulf on't, no more; As I look'd on, I said to misen, "G.o.d help fowk this weather at's poor!"

T' big un samm'd(4) summat off t' graand, An' I look'd just to see what 't could be, 'T were a few wizen'd flaars he'd faand, An' they seem'd to hae fill'd him wi' glee.

An' he said, "Coom on, Billy, may be We sal find summat else by an' by; An' if not, tha mun share these wi' me, When we get to some spot wheer it's dry."

Leet-hearted, they trotted away, An' I follow'd, 'cause t' were i' my rooad; But I thowt I'd ne'er seen sich a day, It wern't fit to be aat for a tooad.

Sooin t' big un agean slipp'd away, An' samm'd summat else aat o' t' muck; An' he cried aat, "Look here, Bill, to-day Arn't we blest wi' a seet o' gooid luck?

"Here's a apple, an' t' mooast on it's saand, What's rotten I'll throw into t' street.

Wern't it gooid to lig theer to be faand?

Naa boath on us can have a treat."

So he wip'd it an' rubb'd it, an' then Said, "Billy, thee bite off a bit; If tha hasn't been lucky thisen, Tha sal share wi' me sich as I get."

So t' little un bate off a touch,(5) T' other's face beam'd wi' pleasure all through, An' he said, "Nay, tha hasn't taen mich, Bite agean, an' bite bigger, naa do."

I waited to hear nowt no more; Thinks I, there's a lesson for me; Tha's a heart i' thy breast, if tha'rt poor; T' world were richer wi' more sich as thee.

Two pence were all t' bra.s.s at I had, An' I meant it for ale when com nooin ; Bud I thowt, I'll go give it yond lad, He desarves it for what he's been doin'.

So I said, "Lad, here's twopence for thee, For thisen." An' they star'd like two geese; Bud he said, whol t' tear stood in his ee, "Naa, it'll just be a penny apiece."

"G.o.d bless thee! do just as tha will, An' may better days speedily come; Though clamm'd(6) an' hauf donn'd,(7) my lad, still Tha'rt a deal nearer Heaven nor(8) some."