When John o' Dick comes a-courtin',
We sit togither on t' lang-settle;
John watches me, an' I watch t' kettle
Boilin'; I can say nowt to John
Save, when he arms me, ‘Noo, get on!’
Marry! I'm waffly* an' tongue-tied
When John o' Dick is by my side.
But evenings when I sit alane,
Hearkenin' tap of sleet on t' pane,
An' whiles I darn or mend or knit,
Sich luvely speeches, bit by bit,
Like breet lunts* flicker through my mind,
Sich canty* speeches, douce an' kind.
Maist lads would think I had no heart
Actin' so menseless; I mun start
To be less moidered an' less shy.
But Aa! It passes me foreby
My mind's a blank, when John o' Dick
Sits nigh me. Nay, I niver speak
Whenever he comes a-courtin'.
Notes
Taken from "What do they know of Yorkshire by Dorothy Una Ratcliffe. Pub Eyre and Spottiswode 1940 [p23]
waffly -- incoherent,
breet lunts -- bright flames,
canty – lively
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Comments
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This is very sweet. I don't know of any women today that would say 'nowt' if the man of their dreams were to sit beside them. Of course when he's not there she can think of so many words to say. As i said it's sweet!
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