Poetry > Ballads in the Cumberland dialect

CUMBERLAND BALLADS.
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'Whene’er the sky’s eawm, and the main wheyte
as siller,
And partridges caw the lost partners to meet,
;We steel out thegither, and leave the crabb’duncle;
i He snwores on the sattle, ay neet after neet;
[Wi’ yage he’s bent double, an’ row’d up in trouble,
f But dreams nit sweet Peggy her heart hes gien
Till kindred may loss him, [me;
I We’ll ne’er wish to cross him,
i But spen hours o’ luive at the aul hollow tree.
[When laid i’ the greave, nar his decent deame,
[) Jenny,
j Of aw neybors roun him, but few will repeyne;
JSud mey favourite, Peggy, be left nit ae penny,
j Ere threyce the muin changes I whop she’ll be
* , meyne;
Ilf peer, or if wealthy, aye merry when healthy,
r We’ll pray that aw countries for iver may ’gree;
We’ll comfort ilk other,
But brethren ne’er bother,
An’ think o’ days geane nar the aul hollow tree.
What, trees er leyke mortals—yeks strang, an’
wide spreedin, [bow;
Wake willows to every leeght breeze will aye
Girt cedars, leyke breers that men cattle keep
treedin,
Are nourisht aleyke, yen an’ aw, the warl thro’;
On yerth, seame as bairins, for a wheyle they’re
seen creepin,
| Oft robb’d of a brench—pity sae it sud be!
Some grew up thegether,
In youth monie wither—
| A teype o’ frail man is the aul hollow tree!