Classic Poem

When we, all friends, in manhood's prime,
Did meet, work-free, wi' weather fine;
As you'd a-meäde, at evenen time,
Your workday good, as I had mine;
Then oone did call, as he did come
To vetch another out vrom hwome:
" Come out a while wi' me!"
" Aye, I shall soon be free."
" How long have I to wait?"
" Why, I'm a-comen straight."
Aye, aye, twer zoo,
That we did do,
When we wer young together.

While zummer days did slowly run
Drough noons o' shrunken sheädes an' het;
Then we, a-burn'd below the zun,
Did meet, an' call as we'd a-met:
" Hallo! why you do never come
Vor me." " Nor you vor me at hwome."
" Well, where's your road to-night?"
" Where you should goo by right."
" Shall I be welcome there?"
" To oone, I'd nearly zwear."
Aye, aye, like that,
We then did chat,
When we wer young together.

Then we, wi' many dear wold neämes,
Did meet within zome naighbour's door,
An' chap an' maid in merry geämes
Did spring an' scuff about the vloor.
If oone did speak a little teärt,
Another's answer wer as smart.
" Come, who have you a-chose?"
" Here, feäce to feäce in rows."
" Here, now we'll dance a-reel."
" Here, voot it, tooe an' heel."
Aye, we did dance,
An' hop, an' prance,
When we wer young together.

Then we, in all our pride, did try
Which chap could run or leäp the best,
Or lift the biggest waight, or shy
A popple truer than the rest.
" Who'll walk along theäse narrow poles?"
" Not you, my lad, wi' your splaÿè zoles."
" Now you can't hit the stwone."
" I can. Whee-it . Well done!"
" Well, you can't clear the brook."
" Oh, can't I then? You look!"
An' down he dash'd,
As water splash'd,
When we wer young together.

In zummer time we went to teäke
Our picnic by the castle walls,
An' plaÿè'd our geämes bezide the leäke,
Where swans did zwim by watervalls.
An' there, vor merry pranks, did clim'
The broken wall or elems lim'.
" Here, zee where I've a-clomb."
" Well, zee where I'm a-come."
" You can't clim' down, wold bwoy."
" I can, I'll bet. Heigh! hoy! "
An' down he vell,
You needen tell,
When we wer young together.