I Know Who

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Aye, aye, vull rathe the zun mus' rise
  To meäke us tired o' zunny skies,
  A-sheenèn on the whole day drough,
  From mornèn's dawn till evenèn's dew.
  When trees be brown an' meäds be green,
  An' skies be blue, an' streams do sheen,
  An' thin-edg'd clouds be snowy white
  Above the bluest hills in zight;
  But I can let the daylight goo,
  When I've a-met wi'--I know who.

  In Spring I met her by a bed
  O' laurels higher than her head;
  The while a rwose hung white between
  Her blushes an' the laurel's green;
  An' then in Fall, I went along
  The row of elems in the drong,
  An' heärd her zing bezide the cows,
  By yollow leaves o' meäple boughs;
  But Fall or Spring is feäir to view
  When day do bring me--I know who.

  An' when, wi' wint'r a-comèn roun',
  The purple he'th's a-feädèn brown,
  An' hangèn vern's a-sheäkèn dead,
  Bezide the hill's besheäded head:
  An' black-wing'd rooks do glitter bright
  Above my head, in peäler light;
  Then though the birds do still the glee
  That sounded in the zummer tree,
  My heart is light the winter drough,
  In me'th at night, wi'--I know who.

© William Barnes