Category Archives: John Clare

Clasics in Ñspel: FIRST LOVE, by John Clare

FRST LUV

Jon Cler

I ne’r was struc bfr ɖt aur
Wɖ luv so sudn n so swīt,
Hr fes it blūmd lîc a swīt flǎr
N stoul mî hart awe cmplit.
Mî fes trnd pel az dedli pel,
Mî legz rfyzd t wōc awe,
N ẃn ś lct, ẃt cd I eil?
Mî lîf n ol sīmd trnd t cle.

N ɖen mî blud ruśt t mî fes
N tc mî îsît qt awe,
Ɖ triz n bśz rnd ɖ ples
Sīmd midnît at nūnde.
I cd nt si a sngl ʈñ,
Wrdz fṛm mî îz dd start—
Ɖe spouc az cōrdz d fṛm ɖ strñ,
N blud brnt rnd mî hart.

R flǎrz ɖ wintr’z ćôs?
Z luv’z bed olwz sno?
Ś sīmd t hír mî sîḷnt vôs,
Nt luv’z apilz t nǒ.
I nvr sw so swīt a fes
Az ɖt I std bfr.
Mî hart hz left its dwelñples
N cn rtrn no mor.

CLASICS IN ÑSPEL

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Clasics in Ñspel: ON A LANE IN SPRING, by John Clare

ON A LEN IN SPRÑ

Jon Cler

A litl len, ɖ brŭc runz clos bsd
N spanglz in ɖ súnśîn

ẃl ɖ fiś glîd swiftli bî

N hejz līfñ wɖ ɖ grīn sprñtîd
Fṛm ǎt ɖer grīṇri ɖ old brdz flî
N ćrp n ẃisl in ɖ mornñsún
Ɖ pîlwort glitrz nīʈ ɖ pel blu scî
Ɖ litl robin hz its nst bgun
N gras-grīn linits rnd ɖ bśz flî
Hǎ mîld ɖ Sprñ cmz in; ɖ deizibudz
Lift p ɖer goldn blosmz t ɖ scî
Hǎ luvli r ɖ pnglz n ɖ wŭdz
Hir a bītl runz; n ɖr a flî
Rests on ɖ aṛmlīf in botl-grīn
N ol ɖ Sprñ in ɖs swīt len z sìn.

CLASICS IN ÑSPEL

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Clasics in Ñspel: THE SKYLARK, by John Clare

Ɖ SCÎLARC

Jon Cler

Ɖ rolz n haroz lî at rest bsd
Ɖ batrd rod; n spredñ far n wîd
Abv ɖ rusit clodz, ɖ corn z sìn
Sprǎtñ its spîri pônts v tndr grīn,
Ẃr sqots ɖ hér, t terrz wîd awec,
Lîc sm brǎn clod ɖ haroz feld t brec.
Oṗnñ ɖer goldn cascits t ɖ sún,
Ɖ butrcups mc scūlbôz īgr run,
T si hu śl b frst t pluc ɖ prîz –
P fṛm ɖer huri, si, ɖ scîlarc flîz,
N ’r hr haf-formd nst, wɖ hapi wñz
Winoz ɖ er, tl in ɖ clǎd ś sñz,
Ɖen hañz a dustspot in ɖ súni scîz,
N drops, n drops, tl in hr nst ś lîz,
Ẃć ɖe unhīdd pást – nt drīmñ ɖen
Ɖt brdz ẃć flù so hî wd drop agn
T nsts upn ɖ grǎnd, ẃć enʈñ
Me cm at t dstrô. Hd ɖe ɖ wñ
Lîc sć a brd, ɖmslvz wd b tù prǎd,
N bild on nʈñ bt a pasñ clǎd!
Az fri fṛm denjr az ɖ hevnz r fri
Fṛm pen n tôl, ɖr wd ɖe bild n b,
N sêl abt ɖ wrld t sīnz unhŕd
V n unsìn – Ǒ, wr ɖe bt a brd!
So ʈnc ɖe, ẃl ɖe lisn t its soñ
N smîl n fansi n so pas alñ;
Ẃl its lo nst, môst wɖ ɖ dȳz v morn,
Lîz sefli, wɖ ɖ levṛt, in ɖ corn.

CLASICS IN ÑSPEL

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Clasics in Ñspel: LOVE LIVES BEYOND THE TOMB, by John Clare

LUV LIVZ BYND Ɖ TŪM

Jon Cler

Luv livz bynd
Ɖ tūm, ɖ rʈ, ẃć fedz lîc dȳ—
I luv ɖ fond,
Ɖ feʈfl, n ɖ tru.

Luv livz in slīp,
’tiz hapinis v hlʈi drīmz.
Īv’z dȳz me wīp,
Bt luv dlîtfl sīmz.

’tiz sìn in flǎrz
N in ɖ īvn’z prli dȳ,
On rʈ’z grīn aurz
N in ɖ hevn’z itrnl blu.

’tiz hŕd in sprñ
Ẃn lît n súnbīmz, worm n cînd,
On enjlz’ wñ
Brñ luv n ḿzic t ɖ wind.

N ẃr z vôs
So yuñ, so bytifl n swīt
Az nećr’z ćôs,
Ẃr Sprñ n luvrz mīt?

Luv livz bynd
Ɖ tūm, ɖ rʈ, ɖ flǎrz, n dȳ.
I luv ɖ fond,
Ɖ feʈfl, yuñ n tru.

CLASICS IN ÑSPEL

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Clasics in Ñspel: SUMMER, by John Clare

SUMR

Jon Cler

Cm w t ɖ sumr,

t ɖ sumr w wl cm

Fr ɖ wŭdz r fl v blūbelz

n ɖ hejz fl v blūm

N ɖ cro z on ɖ oc

a-bildñ v hr nst

N luv z brnñ dîmndz

in mî tru luvr’z brest.

Ś sits bnʈ ɖ ẃîtʈorn

a-platñ v hr her

N I wl t mî tru luvr

wɖ a fond rqst rper.

I wl lc upn hr fes,

I wl in hr byti rest

N le mî ecñ wirinis

upn hr luvli brest.

Ɖ cloc-a-cle z crīpñ

on ɖ opn blūm v Me,

Ɖ meri bì z tramṗlñ ɖ pnci ʈredz ol de
N ɖ ćafinć it z brūdñ

on its gre mosi nst

In ɖ ẃîtʈorn bś ẃr I wl līn

upn mî luvr’z brest.

I’l līn upn hr brest

n I’l ẃispr in hr ir

Ɖt I canot gt a wnc o’ slīp

fr ʈncñ v mî dir.

I hungr at mî mìt

n I dêli fed awe

Lîc ɖ hejrôz ɖt z brocn

in ɖ hīt v ɖ de.

CLASICS IN ÑSPEL

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Clasics in Ñspel: WHAT IS LIFE? by John Clare

ẂT Z LÎF?

Jon Cler

N ẃt z Lîf? – An aurglas on ɖ run,
A Mist rtritñ fṛm ɖ mornñsún,
A bizi, buṣlñ, stl rpitd drīm;
Its leñʈ? – A minit’s pōz,
a momnt’s ʈt;
N hapinis? – A bubl on ɖ strīm,
Ɖt in ɖ act v sizñ śrincs t nòt.

Ẃt r ven Hops? – Ɖ pufñ gel v morn,
Ɖt v its ćarmz dvsts ɖ dȳi lōn,
N robz ć florit v its jem – n dîz;
A cobweb hîdñ dis’pôntmnt’s ʈorn,
Ẃć stñz mor cīnli ʈru ɖ ʈin dsgîz.

N ɖǎ, O Trubl? – nʈñ cn s’poz
(N śr ɖ pǎr v wizdm onli nz)
Ẃt nīd rqîriʈ ɖi:
So fri n libṛl az ɖî bǎnti floz,
Sm nesṣri cōz mst śrli b:
Bt dis’pôntmnts, penz, n evri wo

dvotd rećz fīl,

Ɖ yṇvrsl plegz v lîf b’lo,
R misṭriz stl ’nīʈ Fet’s unbrocn sìl.

N ẃt z Deʈ? z stl ɖ cōz unfaund?
Ɖt darc, mstirịs nem v horid sǎnd? –
A loñ n linġrñ slīp ɖ wiri crev.
N Pīs? ẃr cn its hapinis abǎnd? –
Nẃr at ol, sev hevn n ɖ grev.

Ɖen ẃt z Lîf? – Ẃn stript v its dsgîz,
A ʈñ t b dzîrd it canot b
Sins evrʈñ ɖt mīts ǎr fūliś îz
Gvz prūf sfiśnt v its vaṇti.
’tiz bt a trîl ol mst unḍgo;
T tīć unʈancfl mortlz hǎ t prîz
Ɖt hapinis ven man’z dnaid t nǒ,
Untl h’z cōld t clem it in ɖ scîz.

CLASICS IN ÑSPEL

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Clasics in Ñspel: I AM! by John Clare

I AM!

Jon Cler

I am—yt ẃt I am nn cerz or nz;
Mî frendz fsec m
lîc a meṃri lost:
I am ɖ slf-cnsymr v mî woz—
Ɖe rîz n vaniś in oblivịs host,
Lîc śadoz
in luv’z frenzid stîfld ʈrǒz

N yt I am, n liv—lîc veprz tóst

Intu ɖ nʈñnis v scorn n nôz,
Intu ɖ livñ sì v wecñ drīmz,
Ẃr ɖr z nɖr sns v lîf or jôz,
Bt ɖ vast śiprec

v mî lîf’s istimz;

Īvn ɖ dirist ɖt I luvd ɖ bst
R strenj—

nê, rɖr, strenjr ɖn ɖ rest.

I loñ fr sīnz ẃr man hʈ nvr trod
A ples ẃr wmn

nvr smîld or wept

Ɖr t abîd wɖ mî Crietr, God,
N slīp az I in ćîldhd swītli slept,
Untruḅlñ n untrubld ẃr I lî
Ɖ gras b’lo—abv ɖ vōltd scî.

CLASICS IN ÑSPEL

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