Classic Poem

A FATHER AND FRIEND OR CHORUS OF FRIENDS

FATHER

Here under the pworches grey bow,
All my children did shoot to an' fro,
Wi' a sleek little head.

CHORUS

Hwome's a nest.

FATHER

Here be windows where hills, in the blue
O' the sky, wer a-shown to their view,
An' the zun's evenen red did sheen in,
An' the nooks where their tooe-tips did spring,
An' the pleäce that their tongues did meäke ring
Wi' their high-screamen din.

CHORUS

Hwome's a nest.
O hwome's but a nest o' the spring,
Where our children do grow to teake wing.

FATHER

Here smallvooted maidens did walk
Wi' their mother, wi' small tongues in talk
To her down-looken feäce.

CHORUS

Hwome's a nest.

FATHER

An' the boys did trot on at my zide,
Wi' their two steps a-meäde to oone stride
O' my bigvooted peäce, — an' now each
Is a-gone vrom our zide an' our hand,
An' the woldest as wide as the land
O' wold England do reach.

CHORUS

Hwome's a nest;
A nest where the young be a-bred
Up to teäke on the work o' the dead.

FATHER

An' here, when the boys had begun
At their sisters wi' banteren fun,
Then how brisk wer each tongue.

CHORUS

Hwome's a nest.

FATHER

Vor the maidens could very soon vind
How to paÿè off the best o'm in kind,
Whether wolder or young, — an' now each
Have his own day o' life an' his door,
While his words an' his doens noo mwore
To the others do reach.

CHORUS

Hwome's a nest,
Where our beäbes do grow women an' men,
Vor to rear other children ageän.

FATHER

There's straight-walken John that can show
How to handle a sword wi' a foe
's a comely young man.

CHORUS

Hwome's a nest.

FATHER

Vor his bleäde is a-swung by a hand
That ha' hit a vew blows vor the land.
An' the merry-soul'd Ann, — oh! a dear,
Is a-married, an' now she do turn
Her own cheeses, an' roll her own churn;
But's a good way vrom here.

CHORUS

Hwome's a nest,
Where our children do grow, to teäke on
All our pleäces when we be a-gone.

FATHER

There's dapper young Joe is a-meäde
A good jobber o' cattle by treäde,
An' so keen in his mind,


CHORUS

Hwome's a nest.

FATHER

That a'most while a heifer do bleäre
He do know her all round, ev'ry heäir;
An' my Fanny, so kind an' so mild
That I zometimes did hope midden goo
Vrom my hearth, is a-took away too.
Aye my Fanny, dear child.

CHORUS

Hwome's a nest,
All vorseäken when children do vlee,
Like a nest a-left cwold in the tree.

FATHER

There's Jim, that the naighbours all round
Did zoo like, is a-gone an' a-bound
To a very good treäde.

CHORUS

Hwome's a nest.

FATHER

Though his head is as thoughtless, a lout,
As the ball he did het zoo about
At their geämes out in sleäde, an' he's near.
But my Willie's a-gone vrom my door,
An' too vur to come back any mwore,
Any mwore to come here.

CHORUS

Hwome's a nest,
Where our children do grow to vulvill
Not our own, but our Father's good will.