by William Barnes (1801 - 1886)
No, no! I ben't a‑runnèn down
Language: English
No, no! I ben't a-runnèn down The pretty maïden's o' the town, Nor wishèn o'm noo harm; But she that I would marry vu'st, To sheäre my good luck or my crust, 'S a-bred up at a farm. In town, a maïd do zee mwore life, An' I don't under-reäte her; But ten to woone the sprackest wife 'S a farmer's woldest dā'ter. Vor she do veed, wi' tender ceäre, The little woones, an' peärt their heäir, An' keep em neat an' pirty; An' keep the saucy little chaps O' bwoys in trim wi' dreats an' slaps, When they be wild an' dirty. Zoo if you'd have a bus'lèn wife, An' childern well look'd after, The maïd to help ye all drough life 'S a farmer's woldest dā'ter. An' she can iorn up an'vwold A book o' clothes wi' young or wold, An' zalt an' roll the butter; An' meäke brown bread, an' elder wine, An' zalt down meat in pans o' brine, An' do what you can put her. Zoo if you've wherewi', an' would vind A wife wo'th lookèn aā'ter, Goo an' get a farmer in the mind To gi'e ye his woldest dā'ter. Her heart's so innocent an' kind. She idden thoughtless, but do mind Her mother an' her duty; An' livèn blushes, that do spread Upon her healthy feäce o' red, Do heighten all her beauty; So quick's a bird, so neat's a cat, So cheerful in her neätur, The best o' maïdens to come at 'S a farmer's woldest dā'ter.
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Text Authorship:
- by William Barnes (1801 - 1886), "The farmer's woldest dā'ter", appears in Poems of rural life in the Dorset dialect [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Mervyn, Lord Horder, the Second Baron of Ashford (1910 - 1998), "The farmer's eldest daughter" [ voice and piano ], from Dorset Delight, no. 5 [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2009-10-26
Line count: 40
Word count: 255