by William Barnes (1801 - 1886)
The wife a‑lost
Language: English
Since I noo mwore do zee your feäce, Up steäirs or down below, I'll zit me in the lwonesome pleäce, Where flat bough'd beech do grow: Below the beeches' bough, my love, Where you did never come, An' I don't look to meet ye now, As I do look at hwome. Since you noo mwore be at my zide, In walks in zummer het, I'll goo alwone where mist do ride, Drough trees a-drippèn wet: Below the raïn-wet bough, my love, Where you did never come, An' I don't grieve to miss ye now, As I do grieve at home. Since now bezide my dinner-bwoard Your vaïce do never sound, I'll eat the bit I can avword, A-vield upon the ground; Below the darksome bough, my love, Where you did never dine, An' I don't grieve to miss ye now, As I at hwome do pine. Since I do miss your vaïce an' feäce In prayer at eventide, I'll pray wi' woone said vaïce vor greäce To goo where you do bide; Above the tree an' bough, my love, Where you be gone avore, An' be a-waïtèn vor me now, To come vor evermwore.
Text Authorship:
- by William Barnes (1801 - 1886), "The wife a-lost", 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 wife a-lost" [ voice and piano ], from Dorset Delight, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2009-10-26
Line count: 32
Word count: 194