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| OH, there ’s mony a gate eawt ov eawr teawn-end, | |
| But nobbut one for me; | |
| It winds by a rindlin’ wayter side, | |
| An’ o’er a posied lea, | |
| It wanders into a shady dell; | 5 |
| An’ when aw ’ve done for th’ day, | |
| Aw never can sattle this heart o’ mine, | |
| Beawt walkin’ deawn that way. | |
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| It ’s noather garden, nor posied lea, | |
| Nor wayter rindlin’ clear; | 10 |
| But deawn i’ th vale there ’s a rosy nook, | |
| An’ my true love lives theer. | |
| It ’s olez summer where th’ heart’s content, | |
| Tho’ wintry winds may blow; | |
| An’ there ’s never gate ’at ’s so kind to th’ fuut, | 15 |
| As th’ gate one likes to go. | |
| |
| When aw set off o’ sweetheartin,’ aw ’ve | |
| A theawsan’ things to say; | |
| But th’ very first glent o’ yon chimbley-top | |
| It drives ’em o’ away; | 20 |
| An’ when aw meet wi’ my bonny lass, | |
| It sets my heart a-jee;— | |
| Oh, there ’s summut i’ th’ leet o’ yon two blue e’en | |
| That plays the dule wi’ me! | |
| |
| When th’ layrock ’s finished his wark aboon, | 25 |
| An’ laid his music by, | |
| He flutters deawn to his mate, an’ stops | |
| Till dayleet stirs i’ th’ sky. | |
| Though Matty sends me away at dark, | |
| Aw know that hoo ’s reet full well;— | 30 |
| An’ it ’s heaw aw love a true-hearted lass, | |
| No mortal tung can tell! | |
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| Aw wish that Candlemas day were past, | |
| When wakin’ time comes on; | |
| An’ aw wish that Kesmass time were here, | 35 |
| An’ Matty an’ me were one. | |
| Aw wish this wanderin’ wark were o’er— | |
| This maunderin’ to an’ fro; | |
| That aw could go whoam to my own true love, | |
| An’ stop at neet an’ o’. | 40 |
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