Welcome, Bonny Brid!

Tha’rt welcome, little bonny brid,
But shouldn’t ha’ come just when tha did;
Toimes are bad.
We’re short o’ pobbies for eawr Joe,
But that, of course, tha didn’t know,
Did ta, lad?

Aw’ve often yeard mi feyther tell,
’At when aw coom i’ th’ world misel
Trade wur slack;
An’ neaw it’s hard wark pooin’ throo—
But aw munno fear thee; iv aw do
Tha’ll go back.

Cheer up! these toimes ’ull awter soon;
Aw’m beawn to beigh another spoon—
One for thee;
An’ as tha’s sich a pratty face,
Aw’ll let thee have eawr Charley’s place
On mi knee.

God bless thee, love, aw’m fain tha’rt come,
Just try an’ mak thisel awhoam:
What ar’t co’d?
Tha’rt loike thi mother to a tee,
But tha’s thi feyther’s nose, aw see,
Well, aw’m blow’d!

Come, come, tha needn’t look so shy,
Aw am no’ blackin’ thee, not I;
Settle deawn,
An’ tak this haup’ney for thisel’,
There’s lots o’ sugar-sticks to sell
Deawn i’ th’ teawn.

Aw know when furst aw coom to th’ leet
Aw’re fond o’ owt ’at tasted sweet;
Tha’ll be th’ same.
But come, tha’s never towd thi dad
What he’s to co thi yet, mi lad—
What’s thi name?

Hush! hush! tha munno cry this way,
But get this sope o’ cinder tay
While it’s warm;
Mi mother us’d to give it me,
When aw wur sich a lad as thee,
In her arm.

Hush a babby, hush a bee—
Oh, what a temper! dear a-me,
Heaw tha skroikes!
Here’s a bit o’ sugar, sithee;
Howd thi noise, an’ then aw’ll gie thee
Owt tha loikes.

We’n nobbut getten coarsish fare,
But eawt o’ this tha’st ha’ thi share,
Never fear.
Aw hope tha’ll never want a meel,
But allus fill thi bally weel
While tha’rt here.

Thi feyther’s noan bin wed so long,
An’ yet tha sees he’s middlin’ throng
Wi’ yo’o:
Besides thi little brother, Ted,
We’n one up-steers, asleep i’ bed
Wi’ eawr Joe.

But though we’n childer two or three,
We’ll mak’ a bit o’ reawm for thee—
Bless thee, lad!
Tha’rt th’ prattiest brid we han i’ th’ nest;
Come, hutch up closer to mi breast—
Aw’m thi dad.