An Omen
Blest is t' bride at t' sun shines on,
An' blest is t' deead at t' rain rains on.
A Charm
Tak twea at's red an' yan at's blake,(1)
O' poison berries three,
Three fresh-cull'd blooms o' devil's glut,(2)
An' a sprig o' rosemary.
Tak henbane, bullace, bummlekite,(3)
An' t' fluff frev a deead bulrush,
Naan berries shak frae t' rowan-tree,
An' naan frae t' botterey-bush.(4)
1. Yellow. 2. Bindweed. 3. Blackberries. 4. Elder Tree
A gift(1) o' my finger
Is seer to linger;
A gift o' my thumb
Is seer to coom.
1. White speck.
Sunday clipt, Sunday shorn,
Better t' bairn had niver been born.
A Monday's bairn 'll grow up fair,
A Tuesday's yan i' grace thruf prayer;
A Wednesday's bairn has monny a pain,
A Tho'sday's bairn wean't baade at heame.
A Friday's bairn is good an' sweet,
A Settherday's warks frae morn to neet.
Bud a Sunday's bairn thruf leyfe is blist,.
An' seer i' t' end wi' t' saints to rist.
A cobweb i' t' kitchen,
An' feat-marks on t' step,
Finnd nea wood i' t' yune(1)
An' nea coals i' t' skep.(2)
1. Oven. 2. Scuttle.
Snaw, snaw, coom faster,
White as allyblaster,
Poor owd women, pickin' geese,
Sendin' t' feathers daan to Leeds.