A HAPPY day at Whitsuntide,

As soon's the zun begun to vall,

We all stroll'd up the steep hill-zide

To Meldon, girt an’ small; great

Out where the castle wall stood high

A-mwoldrèn to the zunny sky. mouldering

An’ there wi’ Jenny took a stroll

Her youngest sister, Poll, so gaÿ,

Bezide John Hind, ah! merry soul,

An’ mid her wedlock faÿ; may, prosper

An’ at our zides did plaÿ an’ run

My little maïd an’ smaller son. daughter

Above the beäten mwold upsprung earth

The driven doust, a-spreadèn light, dust

An’ on the new-leav'd thorn, a-hung,

Wer wool a-quiv'rèn white;

An’ corn, a sheenèn bright, did bow, shining, bend

On slopèn Meldon's zunny brow.

There, down the rufless wall did glow roofless

The zun upon the grassy vloor,

An’ weakly-wandrèn winds did blow,

Unhinder'd by a door;

An’ smokeless now avore the zun

Did stan’ the ivy-girded tun. chimney

My bwoy did watch the daws’ bright wings jackdaw's

A-flappèn vrom their ivy bow'rs;

My wife did watch my maïd's light springs, daughter's

Out here an’ there vor flow'rs;

And John did zee noo tow'rs, the pleäce

Vor him had only Polly's feäce.

An’ there, of all that pried about

The walls, I overlook'd em best,

An’ what o’ that? Why, I meäde out

Noo mwore than all the rest:

That there wer woonce the nest of zome once

That wer a-gone avore we come,

When woonce above the tun the smoke chimney-top

Did wreathy blue among the trees,

An’ down below, the livèn vo'k, folk

Did tweil as brisk as bees; toil

Or zit wi’ weary knees, the while

The sky wer lightless to their tweil.