I MAY not call thee "Sweetheart,"
"My ain, my dearest Dear,"
Nor "Darlin'," nor "Beloved,"
Lest ither folk might hear,
An' even "Luve's" forbidden,
Wiv all sweet words 'at woo—
Then may I, when the folk are nigh,
Call thee "Thoo"?
Aa! theer's a vast of meanin'
In that short simple word,
It's sad as winds in rushes,
It's blithe as t' lilt of bird,
It holds a threat of kisses
To ony courtin' two,—
Soa, may I, when the folk are nigh,
Call thee "Thoo"?
Notes
Thoo .... If it is used WITHOUT affection this is the greatest insult one Yorkshire person can offer another. But with affection .......... Ah well
Taken from "Dale Courtin' " By Dorothy Una Ratcliffe
Published by John Lane The Bodley Head Ltd, London 1931
Page 10
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Comments
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Mmemories of early courting days. Ever mindful of the proprieties each word had to be carefully chosen so as not to cause offence to parents or start a scandal in a small village where everyone knew everyone else's business.
D.U.R. has caught the mood well and, for an "oft cum'd un" from down south, she shows her mastery of the Dales vernacular.
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