Classic Poem

'T IS zome vo'ks jaÿè to teäke the road,
An' goo abro'd, a-wand'ren wide,
Vrom shere to shere, vrom pleäce to pleäce,
The swiftest peäce that vo'k can ride.
But I've a jaÿè 'ithin the door,
Wi' friends avore the vier-zide.

An' zoo, when winter skies do lour,
An' when the Stour's a-rollen wide,
Drough bridge-voot rails, a-painted white,
To be at night the traveller's guide,
Gi'e me a pleäce that's warm an' dry,
A-zitten nigh my vier-zide.

Vor where do love o' kith an' kin,
At vu'st begin, or grow an' wride,
Till souls a-lov'd so young, be wold,
Though never cwold, drough time nor tide,
But where in me'th their gather'd veet
Do often meet — the vier-zide.

If, when a friend ha' left the land,
I shook his hand a-most wet-eyed,
I velt too well the ob'nen door
Would leäd noo mwore where he did bide,
An' where I heärd his vaices sound,
In me'th around the vier-zide.

As I've a-zeed how vast do vall
The mwold'ren hall, the wold vo'ks pride,
Where merry hearts wer woonce a-ved
Wi' daily bread, why I've a-sigh'd,
To zee the wall so green wi' mwold,
An' vind so cwold the vier-zide.

An' Chris'mas still mid bring his me'th
To ouer he'th, but if we tried
To gather all that woonce did wear
Gay feäces there! Ah! zome ha' died,
An' zome be gone to leäve wi' gaps
O' missen laps, the vier-zide.

But come now, bring us in your hand,
A heavy brand o' woak a-dried,
To cheer us wi' his het an' light,
While vrosty night, so starry-skied,
Go gather souls that time do speäre
To zit an' sheäre our vier-zide.