| Th’ Ballies
by Elijah Ridings
Aw’r stondin’ by Dick Bumpkin’s heawse, -
Th’ owd “Fleece,” i’ Withy Grove;
His woife an’ him wur fowin’ eawt,
So in aw thowt aw’d shove:
An’ theer, on th’ sonded kitchen floor,
Aw seed Dick glooarin’ stond,
Wi’ face as red as th’ kitchen foyer,
An’ th’ poker i’ his hond.
Aw fix’d on Dick my awfu’ een,
Aw ne’er had known to fail;
Aw said, “Neaw, Dick, lad, come wi’ me,
An’ have a gill o’ ale.”
His yed it tumblet on his breast,
An’ th’ poker tumblet too;
Aw said, “Come, Dick, and sit thee deawn,
An’ dunna be a foo’.”
“What, tak’ a foyer-potther, mon;
Theaw’lt other kill or lawme:
Aw never seed sich gooins on, -
Is n’t it a brunnin shawme?
"Theaw meet uz weel b’yet th’ cherry-trees,
Or th’ gable eend o’ th’ heawse;
Or jow thi yed gen’ th’ chimney-piece,
Or fotch thysel’ a seawse.”
“Well, then,” said Dick, “aw’ll sit meh deawn,
An’ have a gill o’ ale
Wi’ thee, 'fore onny mon i’ th’ teawn;
Theaw’lt noather lie nor stayl.”
“Aw’ve awlos yeard it sed, aw think,
To th’ best of o’ my thowt, -
‘They met b’yet th’ devil in um soon,
Boh they conno’ b’yet him eawt.’”
We seet us deawn, an’ geet some dhrink;
When in Dick woife hoo sallie,
An’ at my yed, wi’ o’ her meet,
Hoo bang’d a pair o’ ballies:
An’ th’ ballies whistlet i’ my ear,
An’ smasht on th’ ale-house wall;
Or aw should ne’er ha’ towd this tale,
Or stoode besoide my stall.
Aw fix’d on th’ woife my awfu’ een;
But fun’ it would no’ do;
So aw thowt aw’d tak’ mysel’ away,
If hoo’d boh lemmy goo.
My yure stood op, my pluck wur deawn,
Aw wakert cowd an’ pale;
Aw thout aw’d grope my way to th’ dur –
Boh fost aw swoipt my ale.
Dick woife hoo glooart, an’ aw’r so feort,
Aw could no’ tak’ my woint;
At last aw geet i’ th’ Withy Grove,
An’ never look’t behoint.
So neaw aw’m safe – tak’ my advoice,
An’ keep fro’ Dicks and Mallies;
For, if yo goo 'tween mon an’ woife,
Hoo’ll split yur yed wi’ th’ Ballies.
| | Audio: You may need to allow ActiveX to listen. Glossary of Lancashire dialect words. Explanations: Ballies - bellows, to blow (waft) the fire "Fleece" - a pub called 'The Fleece' in Withy Grove, Manchester Fowin' eawt - falling out Sonded - sanded – the stone floor sprinkled with sand to keep it clean Glooarin' - glowering
Awfu’ een - awful eyes – piercing look
Yed - head Yed - head Foyer potther – fire poker
B’yet - beat
Jow - knock Gen - against Chimney-piece - mantle piece
Fotch - fetch A seause - a blow Stayl - steal
Thowt - thought Dick woife - Dick’s wife – an old form of referring to a man's wife
Sallie - sallied, sailed Meet - might Bang'd - threw, hurled Stall - probably Ridings' stall where he sold books Fun - found It wouldn no' do - it didn't work Yure - hair Pluck - courage
Wakert - trembled Swoipt - swiped, knocked-back, drank
Feort - frightened
Tak my woint - get my wind, or breath
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