We zot bezide the leaefy wall,
Upon the bench at evenfall,
While aunt led off our minds vrom ceaere
Wi' veaeiry teaeles, I can't tell where:
An' vound us woone among her stock
O' feaebles, o' the girt Year-clock.
His feaece wer blue's the zummer skies,
An' wide's the zight o' looken eyes,
For hands, a zun wi' glowen feaece,
An' peaeler moon wi' swifter peaece,
Did wheel by stars o' twinklen light,
By bright-wall'd day, an' dark-treed night;
An' down upon the high-sky'd land,
A-reachen wide, on either hand,
Wer hill an' dell wi' win'-sway'd trees,
An' lights a-zweepen over seas,
An' gleamen cliffs, an' bright-wall'd tow'rs,
Wi' sheaedes a-marken on the hours;
An' as the feaece, a-rollen round,
Brought comely sheaepes along the ground.
The Spring did come in winsome steaete
Below a glowen rainbow geaete;
An' fan wi' air a-blowen weak,
Her glossy heaeir, an' rwosy cheaek,
As she did shed vrom oben hand,
The leaepen zeed on vurrow'd land;
The while the rook, wi' heaesty flight,
A-floaten in the glowen light,
Did bear avore her glossy breast
A stick to build her lofty nest,
An' strong-limb'd Tweil, wi' steady hands,
Did guide along the vallow lands
The heavy zull, wi' bright-sheaer'd beam,
Avore the weaery oxen team,
Wi' Spring a-gone there come behind
Sweet Zummer, jay ov ev'ry mind,
Wi' feaece a-beamen to beguile
Our weaery souls ov ev'ry tweil.
While birds did warble in the dell
In softest air o' sweetest smell;
An' she, so winsome-feaeir did vwold
Her comely limbs in green an' goold,
An' wear a rwosy wreath, wi' studs
O' berries green, an' new-born buds,
A-fring'd in colours vier-bright,
Wi' sheaepes o' buttervlees in flight.
When Zummer went, the next ov all
Did come the sheaepe o' brown-feaec'd Fall,
A-smilen in a comely gown
O' green, a-shot wi' yellow-brown,
A-border'd wi' a goolden stripe
O' fringe, a-meaede o' corn-ears ripe,
An' up ageaen her comely zide,
Upon her rounded eaerm, did ride
A perty basket, all a-twin'd
O' slender stems wi' leaves an' rind,
A-vill'd wi' fruit the trees did shed,
All ripe, in purple, goold, an' red;
An' busy Leaebor there did come
A-zingen zongs ov harvest hwome,
An' red-ear'd dogs did briskly run
Roun' cheervul Leisure wi' his gun,
Or stan' an' mark, wi' stedvast zight,
The speckled pa'tridge rise in flight.
An' next ageaen to mild-feaec'd Fall
Did come peaele Winter, last ov all,
A-benden down, in thoughtvul mood,
Her head 'ithin a snow-white hood
A-deck'd wi' icy-jewels, bright
An' cwold as twinklen stars o' night;
An' there wer weary Leaebor, slack
O' veet to keep her vrozen track,
A-looken off, wi' wistful eyes,
To reefs o' smoke, that there did rise
A-melten to the peaele-feaec'd zun,
Above the houses' lofty tun.
An' there the girt Year-clock did goo
By day an' night, vor ever true,
Wi' mighty wheels a-rollen round
'Ithout a beaet, 'ithout a sound.