The Two Lamplighters

I niver thowt when I grew owd
I’d tak to leetin’ lamps;
I sud have said, I’d rayther pad
My hoof on t’ road wi’ tramps.
But sin I gate that skelp[[1]] i’ t’ mine,
I’m wankle[[2]] i’ my heead;
So gaffer said, I’d give ower wark
An’ leet town lamps atsteead.
At first, when I were liggin’ snug
I’ bed, warm as a bee,
’T were hard to rise and get agate
As sooin as t’ clock strake three.
An’ I were flaid to hear my steps
Echoin’ on ivery wall;
An’ flaider yet when down by t’ church
Ullets would skreek and call.
But now I’m flaid o’ nowt; I love
All unkerd[[3]] sounds o’ t’ neet,
Frae childer talkin’ i’ their dreams
To t’ tramp o’ p’licemen’ feet.
But most of all I love to hark
To t’ song o’ t’ birds at dawn;
They wakken up afore it gloams,
When t’ dew ligs thick on t’ lawn.
If I feel lonesome, up I look
To t’ sky aboon my heead;
An’ theer’s yon stars all glestrin’ breet,
Like daisies in a mead.
But sometimes, when I’m glowerin’ up,
I see the Lord hissen;
He’s doutin’ all yon lamps o’ Heaven
That shines on mortal men.
He lowps alang frae star to star,
As cobby[[4]] as can be;
Mebbe He reckons fowk’s asleep,
Wi’ niver an eye to see.
But I hae catched Him at his wark,
For all He maks no din;
He leaves a track o’ powder’d gowd[[5]]
To show where He has bin.
He’s got big lamps an’ laatle lamps,
An’ lamps that twinkles red;
Im capped to see Him dout ’em all
Afore I’m back i’ bed.
But He don’t laik about His wark,
Or stop to hark to t’ birds;
He minds His business, does the Lord,
An’ wastes no gaumless words.
I grow more like Him ivery day,
For all I walk so lame;
An’, happen, there will coom a time
I’ll beat Him at His game.
Thrang as Throp’s wife, I’ll dout my lamps
Afore He’s gotten so far;
An’ then I’ll shout—“I’ve won my race,
I’ve bet Him by a star.”

[1] Blow.

[2] Unsteady.

[3] Strange, eerie.

[4] Active.

[5] The Milky Way.

Our Beck

I niver heerd its name; we call it just “Our beck.”
Mebbe, there’s bigger streams down Ripon way;
But if thou wants clean watter, by my neck!
Thou’ll travel far for cleaner, ony day.
Clear watter! Why, when t’ sun is up i’ t’ sky,
I’ve seen yon flickerin’ shadows o’ lile trout
Glidin’ ower t’ shingly boddom. Step thou nigh,
An’ gloor at t’ minnows dartin’ in an’ out.
Our beck flows straight frae slacks o’ moorland peat,
An’ gethers sweetness out o’ t’ ling an’ gorse;
At first its voice sounds weantly[[1]] saft an’ leet,
But graws i’ strength wi’ lowpin ower yon force.
Then thou sud see the birds alang its banks—
Grey heronsews, that coom to fish at dawn;
Dippers, that under t’ watter play sike pranks,
An’ lang-nebbed curlews, swaimish[[2]] as a fawn.
Soomtimes I’ve seen young otters leave their holes,
An’ laik like kitlins ower the silver dew;
An’ I’ve watched squirrels climmin’ up the boles
O’ beech trees, lowpin’ leet frae beugh to beugh.
Fowers! Why, thou’d fill thy skep,[[3]] lass, in an hour,
Wi’ gowlands, paigles, blobs,[[4]] an’ sike-like things;
We’ve daffydills to deck a bridal bower,
Pansies, wheer lady-cows[[5]] can dry their wings.
Young childer often bathe, when t’weather’s fine,
Up yonder, wheer t’ owd miller’s bigged his weir;
I like to see their lish,[[6]] nakt bodies shine,
An’ watch ’em dive i’ t’ watter widoot fear.
Ay, yon’s our brig, bent like an archer’s bow,
It’s t’ meetin’ place o’ folk frae near an’ far;
Young ’uns coom theer wi’ lasses laughin’ low,
Owd ’uns to talk o’ politics an’ t’ war.
It’s daft when chaps that sit i’ Parliament
Weant tak advice frae lads that talk farm-twang;
If t’ coontry goes to t’ dogs, it’s ’cause they’ve sent
Ower mony city folk to mend what’s wrang.
They’ve taen our day-tale men[[7]] to feight for t’ land,
Then tell us we mun keep our staggarths[[8]] full.
What’s lasses, gauvies,[[9]] greybeards stark[[10]] i’ t’ hand,
To strip wer kye, an’ ploo, an’ tew wi’ t’ shool?[[11]]
But theer, I’ll nurse my threapin’ while it rains,
An’ while my rheumatiz is bad to bide;
I mun step heamwards now, through t’ yatts[[12]] an’ lanes,
Wheer t’ owd lass waits for me by t’ fireside.

[1] Strangely.