OH! the wood wer a-vell'd in the copse,

An’ the moss-bedded primrwose did blow; bloom

An’ vrom tall-stemmèd trees’ leafless tops, tall-trunked

There did lie but slight sheädes down below. shadows

An’ the sky wer a-showèn, in drough through

By the tree-stems, the deepest o’ blue,

Wi’ a light that did vall on an’ off

The dry ground, a-strew'd over wi’ scroff.

There the hedge that wer leätely so high,

Wer a-plush'd, an’ along by the zide, with half-cut stems interlaced

Where the waggon ‘d a-haul'd the wood by,

There did reach the deep wheelrouts, a-dried. wheel-ruts

An’ the groun’ wi’ the sticks wer bespread,

Zome a-cut off alive, an’ zome dead.

An’ vor burnèn, well wo'th reäkèn off,

By the childern a-pickèn o’ scroff.

In the tree-studded leäze, where the woak meadow, oak

Wer a-spreadèn his head out around,

There the scrags that the wind had a-broke,

Wer a-lyèn about on the ground.

Or the childern, wi’ little red hands,

Wer a-tyèn em up in their bands;

Vor noo squier or farmer turn'd off turned away

Little childern a-pickèn o’ scroff.

There wer woone bloomèn child wi’ a cloak one

On her shoulders, as green as the ground;

An’ another, as gray as the woak,

Wi’ a bwoy in a brown frock, a-brown'd.

An’ woone got up, in plaÿ, vor to taït, play see-saw

On a woak-limb, a-growèn out straïght.

But she soon wer a-taïted down off,

By her meätes out a-pickèn o’ scroff.

When they childern do grow to staïd vo'k, adult folk

An’ goo out in the worold, all wide

Vrom the copse, an’ the zummerleäze woak, summer-pasture

Where at last all their elders ha’ died,

They wull then vind it touchèn to bring,

To their minds, the sweet springs o’ their spring,

Back avore the new vo'k did turn off

The poor childern a-pickèn o’ scroff.