Folk-Speech of Cumberland and Some Districts Adjacent / Being Short Stories and Rhymes in the Dialects of the West Border Counties

by Alexander Craig Gibson

But scold as she will, ey, an’ gūrn as she may,

I’ll sing her a bonnie lāl sang, lāl sang,

I’ll sing her a bonnie lāl sang.

“Well! It hes cūm’t till whoa wad hae thowte it,” says I, “if I cannot stop mysel’ frae mackin’ sangs an’ singin’ them of a wet day i’ Widdup Wūd; I’ll coont t’ things ower ageàn,” says I, “an’ see if that’ll stop ma.” Ye ma’ believe ma or nūt, as ye like, but iv anūdder tick-tack there was I coontin’ t’ things ower iv a sang:—

Here t’ check an’ t’ tape an’ t’ threed, oald lad!

Here t’ soat an’ t’ sugger an’ t’ tea—

Seàp, starch, steàn-blue, an’ t’ bottle to rub,

An’ t’ ’bacca by ’tsel’ on’t for me,

Here t’ ’bacca by ’tsel’ on’t for me, me, me,

Here t’ ’bacca by ’tsel’ on’t for me.