'Tis zome vo'ks jay to teaeke the road,
An' goo abro'd, a-wand'ren wide,
Vrom shere to shere, vrom pleaece to pleaece,
The swiftest peaece that vo'k can ride.
But I've a jay 'ithin the door,
Wi' friends avore the vier-zide.
An' zoo, when winter skies do lour,
An' when the Stour's a-rollen wide,
Drough bridge-voot rails, a-painted white,
To be at night the traveller's guide,
Gi'e me a pleaece that's warm an' dry,
A-zitten nigh my vier-zide.
Vor where do love o' kith an' kin,
At vu'st begin, or grow an' wride,
Till souls a-lov'd so young, be wold,
Though never cwold, drough time nor tide
But where in me'th their gather'd veet
Do often meet—the vier-zide.
If, when a friend ha' left the land,
I shook his hand a-most wet-eyed,
I velt too well the ob'nen door
Would leaed noo mwore where he did bide
An' where I heaerd his vaices sound,
In me'th around the vier-zide.
As I've a-zeed how vast do vall
The mwold'ren hall, the wold vo'ks pride,
Where merry hearts wer woonce a-ved
Wi' daily bread, why I've a-sigh'd,
To zee the wall so green wi' mwold,
An' vind so cwold the vier-zide.
An' Chris'mas still mid bring his me'th
To ouer he'th, but if we tried
To gather all that woonce did wear
Gay feaeces there! Ah! zome ha' died,
An' zome be gone to leaeve wi' gaps
O' missen laps, the vier-zide.
But come now, bring us in your hand,
A heavy brand o' woak a-dried,
To cheer us wi' his het an' light,
While vrosty night, so starry-skied,
Go gather souls that time do speaere
To zit an' sheaere our vier-zide.