Nature

In the Spring

by William Barnes 1801–1886

From Poems of Rural Life in the Dorset Dialect: Third Collection

Nature

My love is the maïd ov all maïdens,
Though all mid be comely,
Her skin's lik' the jessamy blossom
A-spread in the Spring.

Her smile is so sweet as a beäby's
Young smile on his mother,
Her eyes be as bright as the dew drop
A-shed in the Spring.

O grey-leafy pinks o' the geärden,
Now bear her sweet blossoms;
Now deck wi' a rwose-bud, O briar.
Her head in the Spring.

O light-rollèn wind blow me hither,
The väice ov her talkèn,
Or bring vrom her veet the light doust,
She do tread in the Spring.

O zun, meäke the gil'cups all glitter,
In goold all around her;
An' meäke o' the deäisys' white flowers
A bed in the Spring.

O whissle gaÿ birds, up bezide her,
In drong-waÿ, an' woodlands,
O zing, swingèn lark, now the clouds,
Be a-vled in the Spring.

An' who, you mid ax, be my praïses
A-meäkèn so much o',
An' oh! 'tis the maïd I'm a-hopèn
To wed in the Spring.

MLA

Barnes, William. “In the Spring.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/barnes/241/.

Chicago

Barnes, William. “In the Spring.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/barnes/241/.

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