Classic Poem

TELLER

Wold Cleeveburn vor ever! Goo, ringers, an' turn
The brown tower-door on his greystwonen durn,
An' teäke every man in his up-hangen hands
The rwopes' twisted strands.

FULL CHORUS

What now, then? what now?

TELLER

An' ring up a peal, vor you ought to be proud
O' your brothers an' sons. Cheer 'em merry an' loud,
Vor the chaps o' wold Cleeveburn do bring vrom the feäst
Dree prizes at leäst.

TELLER'S CHORUS

Now guess who they be.
'Tis spry-vooted Jim, an' 'tis broad-shoulder'd Joe,
An' young Will that do jump like a wing-lifted crow
By the tall ashen tree.

FULL CHORUS

Here's a clap vor each chap, then; hurrah!

TELLER

There Jim, wi' vive others, a-starten, did bound
Vrom the line, on the grass, like a heäre-hunten hound,
Wi' out-reachen breast, an' wi' looks that noo feäce
Could draw vrom the reäce.

FULL CHORUS

Well done! Jim, well done!

TELLER

An' they shot droo the tree-sheädes, like birds on the wing,
An' could hear but one gush o' the rock-leäpen spring,
An' a rook they outstripped wi' their flight on the ground
Turn'd hopeless around.

FULL CHORUS

An' spry-vooted Jim
Come in all a-panken, wi' red-bloomen feäce,
The vust by a nose? by a head? aye a peäce,
The sleekest o' limb.

FULL CHORUS

Here's a cheer he should hear, then; hurrah!

TELLER

Then on come the spry-vooted jumpers, to bound;
Vor height in the air, an' vor length on the ground,
An' a-springen, wi' lags to their thighs all a-clitch'd,
An' a-dropp'd as they pitch'd;

FULL CHORUS

Well done! then, well done!

TELLER

They did mark a long air-track, a-pitchen so light
As a rook in a vield, vrom a vew yards ov flight,
Though zome did pitch backward, an' zome pitch a-head,
An' zome wi' trim tread.

TELLER'S CHORUS

But in jumpen, young Bill
Outstripp'd all the crew; an' his heel smother'd low
The head ov a flower, that had noo other blow
At the feäst by the hill.

FULL CHORUS

Good strokes! Merry vo'ks, then, hurrah!

TELLER

Then on come the bwoats up the river's broad feäce,
A-ploughen up vurrows ov foam in their reäce,
While the men did vall back, an' their two oars did turn,
A-zweepen a-stern.

FULL CHORUS

Well done! chaps, well done!

TELLER

Or else, as the down-leänen rowers did bow,
Their oars did vlee on vor new water to plough,
As they floated by withy, or ivy-hung rock,
Or by herd, or by vlock.

TELLER'S CHORUS

But broad-shoulder'd Joe,
Wi' the zweat on his brow, an' an oar in each vist,
Rushed in wi' the vust o' the crews on the list
That did row.

FULL CHORUS

Well done! ev'ry son! then, hurrah!

TELLER

Zoo let Will leäp the brook, where noo bridge is a-pleäced,
An' not staÿè to climb over bars, in his heäste,
But over 'em pitch, on his spry-springen tooes,
In his trim highlow-shoes.

FULL CHORUS

Well done! Will, well done!

TELLER

An' Jim run the vields in our zight, a good match
Vor a heäre in vull run, or a hoss o' vull stratch;
An' Joe row his bwoat up the stream, wi' a waight
O' the maidens vor fraight.

TELLER'S CHORUS

A'ye! Jump, run, an' row.
Vor who among us is a-sheäm'd to belong
To Cleeveburn, wi' chaps that be spry, an' be strong,
As Bill, Jim, an' Joe.

FULL CHORUS

'Tis a-done. They've a-won, then; hurrah!