Aye, at that time our days wer but vew, An' our lim's wer but small, an' a-growèn; An' then the feäir worold wer new, An' life wer all hopevul an' gaÿ; An' the times o' the sproutèn o' leaves, An' the cheäk-burnèn seasons o' mowèn, An' bindèn o' red-headed sheaves, Wer all welcome seasons o' jaÿ. Then the housen seem'd high, that be low, An' the brook did seem wide that is narrow, An' time, that do vlee, did goo slow, An' veelèns now feeble wer strong, An' our worold did end wi' the neämes Ov the Sha'sbury Hill or Bulbarrow; An' life did seem only the geämes That we plaÿ'd as the days rolled along. Then the rivers, an' high-timber'd lands, An' the zilvery hills, 'ithout buyèn, Did seem to come into our hands Vrom others that own'd em avore; An' all zickness, an' sorrow, an' need, Seem'd to die wi' the wold vo'k a-dyèn, An' leäve us vor ever a-freed Vrom evils our vorefathers bore. But happy be childern the while They have elders a-livèn to love em, An' teäke all the wearisome tweil That zome hands or others mus' do; Like the low-headed shrubs that be warm, In the lewth o' the trees up above em, A-screen'd vrom the cwold blowèn storm That the timber avore em must rue. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE SEMANTICS OF FLOWERS ON MEMORIAL DAY by BOB HICOK TO MY FRIEND MR. THOMAS FLATMAN, ON THE PUBLISHING OF THESE HIS POEMS by FRANCIS BARNARD (D. 1698) I WOULD I COULD DANCE by HELEN M. BROUGH STANZAS by ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING IN THE DARK by FRANCES LOUISA BUSHNELL COURAGE REGAINED by BERTHA TODD CAMPBELL TO THE MOST PRINCELY AND VERTUOUS THE LADY ELIZABETH by THOMAS CAMPION |