Keepen Up O' Chris'mas with William Barnes

As yesterday was the first Sunday of  Advent, I have an excuse for an early posting of two wonderful Dorset Christmas poems by William Barnes, "Chris'mas Invitation" and  "Keepen Up O' Chris'mas".

In the old days, when on postings in distant parts of the world, and when there was a family get-together at Christmas, I would always read these two poems on Christmas Eve (not a custom which was much appreciated, I have recently learnt, so it may not be kept up this year!)

Chris'mas Invitation

Come down to-morrow night; an, mind

Don’t leave thy fiddle-bag behind;

We’ll sheake a lag, an’ drink a cup

O’eale, to keep wold Chris’mas up.

An’ let thy sister teake thy earm,

The walk won’t do her any harm;

There’s noo dirt now to spweil her frock,

The ground’s a-vroze so hard’s a rock.

You won’t meet any stranger’s feace,

But only neighbours o’the pleace,

An’ Stowe, an’ Combe; an’ two or dree

Vrom uncle’s up at Rookery.

An’ thou wu’lt vind a rwosy feace,

An’ peair ov eyes so black as sloos,

The prettiest woones in all the pleace, –

I’m sure I needen tell thee whose.

We got a back-bran, dree girt logs

So much as dree ov us can car;

We’ll put ‘em up athirt the dogs,

An meake a vier to the bar.

An’ ev’ry woone shall tell his teale,

An’ ev’ry woone shall zing his zong,

An’ ev’ry woone wull drink his eale

To love an’ frien’ship all night long.

We’ll snap the tongs, we’ll have a ball,

We’ll shake the house, we’ll lift the ruf,

We’ll romp an’ meake the maidens squall,

A’ catchen o’m at blind-man’s buff.

Zoo come to-morrow night; an’ mind,

Don’t leave thy fiddle-bag behind;

We’ll sheake a lag, an’ drink a cup

O’eale, to keep wold Chris’mas up.