'Tis merry ov a zummer's day, Where vo'k be out a-meäkèn haÿ; Where men an' women, in a string, Do ted or turn the grass, an' zing, Wi' cheemèn vaïces, merry zongs, A-tossèn o' their sheenèn prongs Wi' eärms a-zwangèn left an' right, In colour'd gowns an' shirtsleeves white; Or, wider spread, a-reäkèn round The rwosy hedges o' the ground, Where Sam do zee the speckled sneäke, An' try to kill en wi' his reäke; An Poll do jump about an' squall, To zee the twistèn slooworm crawl. 'Tis merry where a gaÿ-tongued lot Ov haÿ-meäkers be all a-squot, On lightly-russlèn haÿ, a-spread Below an elem's lofty head, To rest their weary limbs an' munch Their bit o' dinner, or their nunch; Where teethy reäkes do lie all round By picks a-stuck up into ground. An' wi' their vittles in their laps, An' in their hornen cups their draps O' cider sweet, or frothy eäle, Their tongues do run wi' joke an' teäle. An' when the zun, so low an' red, Do sheen above the leafy head O' zome broad tree, a-rizèn high Avore the vi'ry western sky, 'Tis merry where all han's do goo Athirt the groun', by two an' two, A-reäkèn, over humps an' hollors, The russlèn grass up into rollers. An' woone do row it into line, An' woone do clwose it up behine; An' after them the little bwoys Do stride an' fling their eärms all woys, Wi' busy picks, an' proud young looks A-meäken up their tiny pooks. An' zoo 'tis merry out among The vo'k in haÿ-vield all day long. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...TO RICHARD R. WRIGHT - INSTRUCTOR by GEORGIA DOUGLAS JOHNSON PRESIDENT GARFIELD by GEORGE SANTAYANA IN A STRANGE CITY by LOUIS UNTERMEYER TO CHLOE WHO FOR HIS SAKE WISHED HERSELF YOUNGER by WILLIAM CARTWRIGHT AT SUNSET TIME by PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR TO AN ISLE IN THE WATER by WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS |