Sunday, December 09, 2012
Song of a Laudator Temporis Acti
Eden Phillpotts (1862-1960), "Gaffer's Song," in As the Wind Blows (London: Elkin Matthews, 1920), p. 18:
13 kern: "Of corn: To form the hard grains in the ear, to seed" (OED)
16, 17, 20 b'ant: be not (Devonian dialect form)
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The boys don't hoe like they used to do,12 teem: "To bring forth young, bear or produce offspring; to be or become pregnant" (OED)
And the maids don't sew like they used to do;
The hen don't lay
And the hound don't bay,
And the wind don't blow like it used to do. 5
The men don't drink like they used to do,
And the girls don't wink like they used to do;
The bud don't swell
And the flow'rs don't smell;
And the folk don't think like they used to do. 10
The milk don't cream like it used to do,
And the ewes don't teem like they used to do;
The corn don't kern
And the sun don't burn;
And my head won't scheme like it used to do. 15
Bad men ban't hung like they used to be,
Good songs ban't sung like they used to be;
The jolly and wise
Have all flown to the skies;
And I ban't so young as I used to be. 20
13 kern: "Of corn: To form the hard grains in the ear, to seed" (OED)
16, 17, 20 b'ant: be not (Devonian dialect form)
