Yorkshire Dialect Poems Part 19

2. Toad. 3. Newt. 4. May not. 5, Brew. 6. Wrapped.

Ridin' t' Stang(1)

(Gra.s.sington Version)

Traditional

Hey dilly, how dilly, hey dilly, dang!

It's nayther for thy part, nor my part, That I ride the stang.

But it's for Jack Solomon, His wife he did bang.

He bang'd her, he bang'd her, He bang'd her indeed, He bang'd t' poor woman Tho' shoo stood him no need.

He nayther took stick, stain, wire, nor stower,(2) But he up wi' a besom an' knock'd her ower.

So all ye good neighbours who live i' this raw, I pray ye tak warnin', for this is our law.

An' all ye cross husbands Who do your wives bang, We'll blow for ye t' horn , An' ride for ye t' stang.

Hip, hip, hip, hurrah!

1 From B. J. Harker's Rambles in Upper Wharfedale. Other versions, more or less similar to the above, are to be found in R.

Blakeborough's Wit, Folklore, and Customs of the North Riding, and J. Nicholson's Folk Speech of the East Riding. In the Yorkshire Dialect Society's Transactions, vol. iii., part xvi., will be found a racy account, in the Beverley dialect, of the custom of "ridin' t'

stang."

2. Pole.

Elphi Bandy-legs(1)

Traditional

Elphi bandy-legs, Bent, an' wide apart, Nea yan i' this deale Awns a kinder heart.

Elphi, great-heead, Greatest iver seen, Nea yan i' this deale Awns a breeter een.

Elphi, little chap, Thof he war so small, War big wi' deeds o' kindness, Drink tiv him yan an' all.

Him at fails to drain dry, Be it mug or gla.s.s, Binnot woth a pescod, Nor a buss(3) frae onny la.s.s.

1. Written in an old cook-book and signed "J. L. 1699"; from Gordon Home's 'The Evolution of an English Town, p208.

2. Is not worth. 3. Kiss

Singing Games

Traditional

I

Stepping up the green gra.s.s Thus and thus and thus; Will you let one of your fair maids Come and play with us.

We will give you pots and pans, We will give you bra.s.s; We will give you anything For a pretty la.s.s.

We won't take your pots and pans, We won't take your bra.s.s, We won't take your "anything For a pretty la.s.s."

We will give you gold and silver, We will give you pearl; We will give you anything For a pretty girl.

Come, my dearest Mary, Come and play with us; You shall have a young man Born for your sake.

And the bells shall ring, And the cats shall sing, And we'll all clap hands together.

II

Sally made a pudden, Shoo made it ower sweet; Shoo dursn't stick a knife in 't, Till Jack cam home at neet.

John, wilta have a bit like?

Don't say nay, For last Monday mornin'

Was aar weddin'-day.

III

Sally Water, Sally Water, Come sprinkle your can, Why do you lie mournin'

All for a young man?

Come, choose o' the wisest, Come, choose o' the best, Come, choose o' the young men The one you love best.

IV

Diller a dollar, A ten o' clock scholar, What maks you coom sae soon?

You used to coom at ten o'clock, Bud noo you coom at noon.

1. From S. O. Addy, A Sheffield Glossary, p. 239; current in other parts of England.

Hagmana Song(1)

Fragment of the Hagmana Song!

(As sung at Richmond, Yorkshire, on the eve of the New Year, by the' Corporation Pinder.)