O WHEN theäse elems’ crooked boughs, this

A'most too thin to sheäde the cows,

Did slowly swing above the grass

As winds o’ Spring did softly pass,

An’ zunlight show'd the shiftèn sheäde,

While youthful me'th wi’ laughter loud,

Did twist his lim's among the crowd

Down there below; up there above

Wer bright-ey'd me'th below the tree.

Down there the merry vo'k did vill folk

The stwonèn doorway, now so still;

An’ zome did joke, wi’ ceäsement wide,

Wi’ other vo'k a-stood outside,

Wi’ words that head by head did heed.

Below blue sky an’ blue-smok'd tun, chimney-top

‘Twer jaÿ to zee an’ hear their fun, joy

But sweeter jaÿ up here above

Wi’ bright-ey'd me'th below the tree.

Now unknown veet do beät the vloor,

An’ unknown han's do shut the door,

An’ unknown men do ride abrode, out and about

An’ hwome ageän on thik wold road, that old

Drough geätes all now a-hung anew. through

Noo mind but mine ageän can call

Wold feäces back around the wall,

Down there below, or here above,

Wi’ bright-ey'd me'th below the tree.

Aye, pride mid seek the crowded pleäce may

To show his head an’ frownèn feäce,

An’ pleasure vlee, wi’ goold in hand, fly

Vor zights to zee vrom land to land,

Where winds do blow on seas o’ blue:—

Noo wealth wer mine to travel wide

Vor jaÿ, wi’ Pleasure or wi’ Pride:

My happiness wer here above

The feäst, wi’ me'th below the tree.

The wild rwose now do hang in zight,

To mornèn zun an’ evenèn light,

The bird do whissle in the gloom,

Avore the thissle out in bloom,

But here alwone the tree do leän.

The twig that woonce did whiver there once, tremble

Is now a limb a-wither'd beäre: bare

Zoo I do miss the sheäde above so

My head, an’ me'th below the tree.