Lakeland Dialect Society

Everyone has their own favourite dialect poem or story. Here is just a taste of the rich variety of works which have been written since the 1750s when authors first started to try to get down the traditional speech of native Cumbrians. They are favourites of some of the Lakeland Dialect Society's committee members.

 

The Snow, John Richardson (1817-1886)

It com doon as whist an' as deftly as death,

O' soond nut a murmur, o' air nut a breath;

Flake reacin' wi' flake. Oh! 'twas bonny ta see

Hoo it curver't up moontain, an' valley, an' tree.

Doon, doon it com floatin', sa white an' sa clear,

Ivvery twig, ivvery leaf, hed its burden to bear;

Ivvery dyke, ivvery hoose, ivvery rough cobble wo'

Hed its blossom, its reuf, or its copin' o' snow.

 

Mi Moontain, Bryan Dawson 

Frae t' bottom on t' deepest valley

Frae t' top on t' hee'est fell

Frae Pattad'le ta Helvellyn

Langd'le to Bowfell.

 

Frae Windama in t' springtime

Tul Grassma in ta' t' fall

The's a moontain ta kap as moontains

That's bin climm'd bi yan an all.

 

It's a moontain amang moontains

Wid a summit bowt bi t' fell and rock

Ta remember them wat deed for us

Wid a cenotaph on t' top

 

Oot trampan t' fells, in t' rain, in t' sun, in t' snow

It's bin tramped on a thoosan ear o' so

Nivver short on a challenge, Ah clim up on ta t' rock

Ah stop for'ra drink and a natter

Fowk ken it weel as they pass it

On t' way ower ta Wastwatter

 

Thoo can crack on aboot Scafell

T' Crinkles an' aw the rest

But ta them that knaws t' moontains

This is yan on t' very best

It's yan ta crack on aboot

Ta clim when ivver thoo's able

Bi noo, thoo must a kent it

That's reet! - Mi moontain's caw'd Great Gable