A Yola Zong

1

Fade teil thee zo lournagh, co Joane, zo knaggee?
Th’ weithest aul curcagh, wafur, an comee.
Lidge w’ouse an a milagh, tie gaay an louthee:
Huck nigher; y’art scuddeen; fartoo zo hachee?

2

Well, gosp, c’hull ba zeid; mot thee fartoo, an fade;
Hea deight ouse var gabble, tell ee zin goe t'glade.
Cham a stouk, an a donel; wou’ll leigh out ee dey.
Th’ valler w’speen here, th’ lass ee chourch-hey.

3

Yerstey w’had a baree, gist ing oor hoane,
Aar gentrize ware bibbern, aamzil cou no stoane.
Yith Muzleare had ba hole, t'was mee Tommeen,
At by mizluck was ee-pit t'drive in.

4

Joud an moud vrem earchee ete was ee Lough.
Zitch vaperreen, an shimmereen, fan ee-daff ee aar scoth!
Zitch blakeen, an blayeen, fan ee ball was ee-drowe!
Chote well aar aim was t’yie ouz n’eer a blowe.

5

Mot w’all aar boust, hi soon was ee-teight
At aar errone was var ameing ’ar ’ngish ee-height.
Zitch vezzeen, tarvizzeen, ’tell than w’ne’er zey.
Note zichel ne’er well, nowe, nore ne’er mey.

6

Many a bra draught by Tommeen was ee-maate;
Th’ cowlee-man, fausteen, zey well ’twas ee-naate.
Yith w’had any lhuck, oor naame wode b’ zung,
Vrem ee Choure here aloghe up to Cargun.

7

Th’ heiftem o’ pley veil all ing to lug;
An aar w'had Treblere an sturdy Cournug.
Th’ commands t’rapple; th’ ball skir an vlee;
Our eein wode b’ mistern t' dearnt up ee skee.

8

Than caame ee shullereen, ee teap an corkite;
Hi kinket an keilt, ee vewe aam ’twode snite.
Zim dellen harnothès w’aar nize ee reed cley:
More trolleen, an yalpeen, an moulteen away.

9

Na, now or neveare! w' cry't t' Tommeen,
Fan Cournug yate a rishp, an Treblere pit w’eeme.
A clugercheen gother: all, ing pile an in heep,
Wourlok’d an anooree, lick lhuskès o’ sheep.

10

T' brek up ee bathès h’ had na poustee;
Tommeen was lous, an zo was ee baree.
Oore hart cam’ t' oore mouth, an zo w’ all ee green;
Th’ hap, an ee ferde, an ee crie, was Tommeen.

11

Up caame ee ball, an a dap or a kewe
Wode zar; mot, all arkagh var ee barnaugh-blowe,
W' vengem too hard, he zunk ee commane,
An broughet ee stell, ing a emothee knaghane.

12

Th’ ball want a cowlee, the gazb maate all rize;
Licke a mope an a mile, he gazt ing a mize;
Than stalket, an gandelt, wie o! an gridane.
Oore joys all ee-smort ing a emothee knaghane.

13

Ha-ho! be mee coshes, th’ast ee-pait it, co Joane;
Y'oure w' thee crookeen, an yie mee thee hoane.
He at nouth fade t’zey, llean vetch ee man,
Twish thee an Tommeen, an ee emothee knaghane.

14

Come w' ouse, gosp Learry, theezil an Melchere;
Outh o’mee hoane ch'ull no part wi' Wathere.
Jaane got leigheen; shoo pleast aam all, fowe?
Shoo ya aam zim to doone, as w' be doone nowe:
Zo bless all oore frends, an God zpeed ee plowe.

References

• Jacob Poole (1867), William Barnes, editor, A Glossary, With some Pieces of Verse, of the old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, London: J. Russell Smith, page 84-90.