The Castle Ruins

A Happy day at Whitsuntide,   As soon ’s the zun begun to vall, We all strolled up the steep hill-zide   To Meldon, gret an’ small; Out where the Castle wall stood high A-mwoldrèn to the zunny sky. An’ there wi’ Jenny took a stroll   Her youngest sister, Poll, so gaÿ, Bezide John Hind, ah! merry soul,   An’ mid her wedlock faÿ; An’ at our zides did plaÿ an’ run My little maid an’ smaller son. Above the beäten mwold upsprung   The driven doust, a-spreadèn light, An’ on the new-leaved thorn, a-hung,   Wer wool a-quiv’rèn white; An’ corn, a-sheenèn bright, did bow, On slopèn Meldon’s zunny brow. There, down the roofless wall did glow   The zun upon the grassy vloor, An’ weakly-wandrèn winds did blow,   Unhindered by a door; An’ smokeless now avore the zun Did stan’ the ivy-girded tun. My bwoy did watch the daws’ bright wings   A-flappen vrom their ivy bow’rs; My wife did watch my maïd’s light springs,   Out here an’ there vor flow’rs; And John did zee noo tow’rs, the pleäce Vor him had only Polly’s feäce. An’ there, of all that pried about   The walls, I overlooked em best, An’ what o’ that? Why, I meäde out   Noo mwore than all the rest: That there wer woonce the nest of zome That wer a-gone avore we come. When woonce above the tun the smoke   Did wreathy blue among the trees, An’ down below, the livèn vo’k   Did tweil as brisk as bees; Or zit wi’ weary knees, the while The sky wer lightless to their tweil.