Clasics in Ñspel: WESSEX HEIGHTS by Thomas Hardy

WESIX HÎTS

Toṃs Hardi

Ɖr r sm hîts in Wesix,

śept az f bî a cîndli hand

Fr ʈncñ, drīmñ, dayñ on,

n at crîsīz ẃn I stand,

Se, on Ñpén Bīcn īstẉd,

or on Wilznec westẉdli,

I sīm ẃr I wz bfr mî brʈ,

n aftr deʈ me b.

In ɖ lǒḷndz I hv no comred,

nt īvn ɖ lon man’z frend –

Hr hu suḟriʈ loñ n z cînd;

axpts ẃt h z tù wìc t mnd:

Dǎn ɖr ɖe r dybịs n ascans;

ɖr nbdi ʈncs az I,

Bt mîndćenz d nt clanc

ẃr wn’z nxt nebr z ɖ scî.

In ɖ tǎnz I am tráct bî fantmz

hvñ wird dtctiv wez –

Śadoz v biyñz hu feloud wɖ

mslf v rlịr dez:

Ɖe hañ abt at plesz,

n ɖe se harś hevi ʈñz –

Men wɖ a wintri snir,

n wimin wɖ tart dispaṛjñz.

Dǎn ɖr I sīm t b fōls t mslf,

mî simpl slf ɖt wz,

N z nt nǎ, n I si him woćñ,

wunḍrñ ẃt cras cōz

Cn hv mrjd him intu sć a strenj

continyetr az ɖs,

Hu yt hz smʈñ in comn

wɖ himslf, mî criṣlis.

I canot g t ɖ gret gre Plen;

ɖr’z a figr agnst ɖ mūn,

Nbdi siz it bt I, n it mcs

mî brest bìt ǎt v tyn;

I canot g t ɖ tōl-spîrd tǎn,

biyñ bàrd bî ɖ formz nǎ pást

Fr evrbdi bt m, in huz loñ viźn

ɖe stand ɖr fast.

Ɖr’z a gost at Yeḷm Botm

ćîdñ lǎd at ɖ fōl v ɖ nît,

Ɖr’z a gost in Frūm-sîd Vel,

ʈin-lipt n veg, in a śrǎd v ẃît,

Ɖr z wn in ɖ relwe tren

ẃnvr I d nt wont it nir,

I si its profîl agnst ɖ pein,

seyñ ẃt I wd nt hír.

Az fr wn rer fer wmn,

I am nǎ bt a ʈōt v hrz,

I entr hr mînd n anɖr ʈōt

s’xidz m ɖt ś prifŕz;

Yt mî luv fr hr in its flnis

ś hrslf īvn dd nt nǒ;

Wel, tîm krz harts v tndrnis,

n nǎ I cn let hr g.

So I am faund on Ñpén Bīcn,

or on Wilznec t ɖ wst,

Or els on homli Bulḅra,

or litl Pilzdn Crest,

Ẃr men hv nvr cerd t hōnt,

nr wimin hv wōct wɖ m,

N gosts ɖen cīp ɖer distns;

n I nǒ sm liḅti.


"House by the Railroad," Edward Hopper, 1925

14/12/2022

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