When skies wer peaele wi' twinklen stars,
An' whislen air a-risen keen;
An' birds did leaeve the icy bars
To vind, in woods, their mossy screen;
When vrozen grass, so white's a sheet,
Did scrunchy sharp below our veet,
An' water, that did sparkle red
At zunzet, wer a-vrozen dead;
The ringers then did spend an hour
A-ringen changes up in tow'r;
Vor Lydlinch bells be good vor sound,
An' liked by all the naighbours round.
An' while along the leafless boughs
O' ruslen hedges, win's did pass,
An' orts ov hay, a-left by cows,
Did russle on the vrozen grass,
An' maidens' pails, wi' all their work
A-done, did hang upon their vurk,
An' they, avore the fleaemen brand,
Did teaeke their needle-work in hand,
The men did cheer their heart an hour
A-ringen changes up in tow'r;
Vor Lydlinch bells be good vor sound,
An' liked by all the naighbours round.
There sons did pull the bells that rung
Their mothers' wedden peals avore,
The while their fathers led em young
An' blushen vrom the churches door,
An' still did cheem, wi' happy sound,
As time did bring the Zundays round,
An' call em to the holy pleaece
Vor heav'nly gifts o' peace an' greaece;
An' vo'k did come, a-streamen slow
Along below the trees in row,
While they, in merry peals, did sound
The bells vor all the naighbours round.
An' when the bells, wi' changen peal,
Did smite their own vo'ks window-peaenes,
Their sof'en'd sound did often steal
Wi' west winds drough the Bagber leaenes;
Or, as the win' did shift, mid goo
Where woody Stock do nessle lew,
Or where the risen moon did light
The walls o' Thornhill on the height;
An' zoo, whatever time mid bring
To meaeke their vive clear vaices zing,
Still Lydlinch bells wer good vor sound,
An' liked by all the naighbours round.