The Wife A-Lost

The Wife A-Lost

Original Text
William Barnes, Hwomely Rhymes. A second collection of poems of rural life in the Dorset dialect (1858).
2    Up steärs or down below,
3I'll zit me in the lwonesome pleäce,
4    Where flat-bough'd beech do grow;
5Below the beeches' bough, my love,
6    Where you did never come,
7An' I don't look to meet ye now,
8    As I do look at hwome.
9  Since you noo mwore be at my zide,
10    In walks in zummer het,
11I'll goo alwone where mist do ride,
12    Drough trees a-drippèn wet;
13Below the raïn-wet bough, my love,
14    Where you did never come,
15An' I don't grieve to miss ye now,
16    As I do grieve at hwome.
17  Since now bezide my dinner-bwoard
18    Your vaïce do never sound,
21Below the darksome bough, my love,
22    Where you did never dine,
23An' I don't grieve to miss ye now,
24    As I at hwome do pine.
25  Since I do miss your vaïce an' feäce
26    In pra{"y}er at eventide,
28    To goo where you do bide;
29Above the tree an' bough, my love,
30    Where you be gone avore,
31An' be a-wäitèn vor me now,
32    To come vor evermwore.

Notes

1] Barnes interested Thomas Hardy so much that Hardy edited a selection of his poems in 1908. Snatches of Barnes are found in Hardy's novels, as for instance in the latter part of Far from the Madding Crowd. Back to Line
19] avword: afford. Back to Line
20] A-vield: in the field. Back to Line
27] I'll pray with a sad voice for grace. Back to Line
Publication Start Year
1858
RPO poem Editors
J. D. Robins
RPO Edition
2RP.2.334; RPO 1996-2000.
Rhyme