Tag Archives: First World War

Clasics in Ñspel: FIRST TIME IN, by Ivor Gurney

FRST TÎM IN

Îvr Grni

Aftr ɖ dred têlz n red yarnz v ɖ Lîn

Enʈñ mt hv cm t s; bt ɖ dvîn

Afṭglo bròt s p t a Wlś coḷni

Hîdñ in sandbag dićz, ẃisṗrñ cnsoḷtri

Soft foṛn ʈñz. Đen w wr tecn in

T lo huts candl-lit, śêdd clos bî slitn

Ôlśīts, n ɖr bt bôz gv s cînd welcm,

So ɖt we lct ǎt az fṛm ɖ éj v hom,

Sañ s Wlś ʈñz, n ćenjd ol formr nośnz

T hymn hopfl ʈñz. N ɖ nxt de’Z gunz

Nor eni Lînpañz evr qt cd blot ǎt

Đt strenjli bytifl entri t wor’z rǎt;

Candlz ɖe gev s, preśs n śerd ovŗaśnz—

Yḷsīz faund litl mor in hiz wonḍrñz

wɖt dǎt.

‘Devid v ɖ Ẃît Roc’, ɖ ‘Slumbrsoñ’

so soft, n ɖt

Bytifl tyn t ẃć rogiś wrdz bî Wlś pitbôz

R suñ—bt nvr mor bytifl ɖn hir

undr ɖ gunz’ nôz.

Pōl Naś │ Đ MENIN ROD │ 1919

CLASICS IN ÑSPEL

Clasics in Ñspel: SPRING OFFENSIVE, by Wilfred Owen

SPRÑ OFNSIV

Wilfrid Own

Hōltd agnst ɖ śêd v a last hil,

Ɖe féd, n, layñ īzi, wr at īz

N, fîndñ cumftbl ćests n niz

Cerlisli slept.

Bt mni ɖr std stl

T fes ɖ starc, blanc scî bynd ɖ rij,

Nwñ ɖer fīt hd cm t ɖ end v ɖ wrld.

Marṿlñ ɖe std, n woćt ɖ loñ gras swrld

Bî ɖ Me brīz, mrmṛs wɖ wosp n mij,

Fr ɖo ɖ sumr ūzd intu ɖer veinz

Lîc ɖ injctd drug fr ɖer bonz’ penz,

Śarp on ɖer soulz huñ ɖ iminnt lîn v gras,

Firf̣li flaśt ɖ scî’z mstirịs glas.

Aur aftr aur ɖe pondr ɖ worm fīld—

N ɖ far vali bhnd, ẃr ɖ butrcups

Hd blest wɖ gold ɖer slo būts cmñ p,

Ẃr īvn ɖ litl bramblz wd nt yīld,

Bt clućt n cluñ t ɖm lîc sorowñ handz;

Ɖe briɖ lîc triz unstŕd.

Tl lîc a cold gust ʈrild ɖ litl wrd

At ẃć ć bodi n its soul bgrd

N tîtn ɖm fr batl. No alarmz

V byglz, no hî flagz, no clamṛs hest—

Onli a lift n fler v îz ɖt fest

Ɖ sún, lîc a frend wɖ hūm ɖer luv z dn.

O larjr śon ɖt smîl agnst ɖ sún,—

Mîtịr ɖn hiz huz bǎnti ɖz hv sprnd.

So, sn ɖe topt ɖ hil, n rêst tgɖr

Ovr an opn streć v hrb n heɖr

Xpozd. N instntli ɖ hol scî brnd

Wɖ fyri agnst ɖm; n soft sudn cups

Opnd in ʈǎzndz fr ɖer blud; n ɖ grīn slǒps

Cazmd n stīpnd śir t infiṇt spes.

V ɖm hu runñ on ɖt last hî ples

Lept t swift unsìn bŭlits, or wnt p

On ɖ hot blast n fyri v hel’z upsrj,

Or plunjd n fél awe past ɖs wrld’z vrj,

Sm se God còt ɖm īvn bfr ɖe fél.

Bt ẃt se sć az fṛm xistns’ brinc

Vnćrd bt drev tù swift t snc.

Ɖ fy hu ruśt in ɖ bodi t entr hel,

N ɖr ǎt-fīndñ ol its fīndz n flemz

Wɖ suṗhymn inhymaṇtiz,

Loñ-feṃs gloriz, immorịl śemz—

N crōlñ slǒli bac, hv bî dgriz

Rgend cūl pīsfl er in wundr—

Ẃ spīc ɖe nt v comredz ɖt wnt undr?

Louis Alexander Weirter │ BATTLE OF COURCELETTE │ 1918

ANAḶSIS

CLASICS IN ÑSPEL

Clasics in Ñspel: FUTILITY, by Wilfred Owen

FYTIḶTI

Wilfrid Own

Muv him intu ɖ sún—

Jntli its tuć awouc him wns,

At hom, ẃisṗrñ v fīldz unsóun.

Olwz it wouc him, īvn in Frans,

Untl ɖs mornñ n ɖs sno.

F enʈñ mt rǎz him nǎ

Ɖ cînd old sún wl nǒ.

Ʈnc hǎ it wecs ɖ sīdz—

Wouc wns ɖ clez v a cold star.

R limz, so dir-aćivd, r sîdz

Fl-nrvd, stl worm, tù hard t str?

Wz it fr ɖs ɖ cle grù tōl?—

O ẃt md faćs súnbīmz tôl

T brec rʈ’z slīp at ol?

Gilḅt Rojrz │ Frst Wrld Wor: Strećrberrz ov ɖ Royl Armi Medicl Cōr Liftñ a Wūndd Man ǎt ov a Trenć │ 1919

ANAḶSIS

CLASICS IN ÑSPEL

Clasics in Ñspel: DISABLED, by Wilfred Owen

DSEBLD

Wilfrid Own

H sat in a ẃīld ćer, wêtñ fr darc,

N śivrd in hiz gastli sūt v gre,

Leglis, soun śort at elbo. Ʈru ɖ parc

Vôsz v bôz rañ saḍnñ lîc a hím,

Vôsz v ple n pleźr aftr de,

Tl gaɖrñ slīp hd muɖrd ɖm fṛm him.

Abt ɖs tîm Tǎn yst t swñ so ge

Ẃn glǒlamps budd in ɖ lît-blu triz,

N grlz glanst luvlịr az ɖ er grù dim,—

In ɖ old tîmz, bfr h ʈrù awe hiz niz.

Nǎ h wl nvr fīl agn hǎ slim

Grlz’ weists r, or hǎ worm ɖer sutl handz,

Ol v ɖm tuć him lîc sm qir dziz.

Ɖr wz an artist sili fr hiz fes,

Fr it wz yungr ɖn hiz yʈ, last yir.

Nǎ, h z old; hiz bac wl nvr bres;

H’z lost hiz culr vri far fṛm hir,

Pord it dǎn śelhoulz tl ɖ veinz ran drî,

N haf hiz lîftîm lapst in ɖ hot rês

N līp v prpl sprtd fṛm hiz ʈî.

Wn tîm h lîct a bludsmir dǎn hiz leg,

Aftr ɖ maćz carid śoldr-hî.

It wz aftr ftbōl, ẃn h’d drunc a peg,

H ʈt h’d betr jôn. H wundrz ẃ.

Smwn hd sd h’d lc a god in cilts.

Ɖt’s ẃ; n mbi, tù, t plīz hiz Meg,

Ai, ɖt wz it, t plīz ɖ gidi jilts,

H asct t jôn. H dd’nt hv t beg;

Smîlñ ɖe rout hiz lî: ejd nîntīn yirz.

Jrmnz h scersli ʈt v, ol ɖer gilt,

N Ostria’z, dd nt muv him. N no firz

V Fir cem yt. H ʈt v juwld hilts

Fr dagrz in pled socs; v smart s’lūts;

N cer v armz; n līv; n pe arirz;

Esprit de corps; n hints fr yuñ rcrūts.

N sn, h wz draftd ǎt wɖ drumz n ćirz.

Sm ćird him hom, bt nt az crǎdz ćir Gol.

Onli a soḷm man hu bròt him frūts

Ʈanct him; n ɖen inqîrd abt hiz soul.

Nǎ, h wl spend a fy sic yirz in insttyts,

N d ẃt ʈñz ɖ rūlz cnsidr wîz,

N tec ẃtvr piti ɖe me dǒl.

Tnît h notist hǎ ɖ wimin’z îz

Pást fṛm him t ɖ stroñ men ɖt wr hol.

Hǎ cold n lêt it z! Ẃ d’nt ɖe cm

N pt him intu bed? Ẃ d’nt ɖe cm?

George Grosz │ GREY DAY │ 1921

ANAḶSIS

CLASICS IN ÑSPEL

Clasics in Ñspel: BALLAD OF THE THREE SPECTRES, by Ivor Gurney

BAḶD OV Đ ƮRI SPECTRZ

Îvr Grni

Az I wnt p bî Ovilrz

In mud n wōtr cold t ɖ ni,

Ɖr wnt ʈri jirñ, flirñ spectrz,

Ɖt wōct abrest n tōct v m.

Ɖ frst sd, ‘Hir’z a rît brev soljr

Ɖt wōcs ɖ darc unfirñli;

Sn h’l cm bac on a fîn strećr,

N lāfñ fr a nîs Blîti.’

Ɖ secnd, ‘Rīd hiz fes, old comred,

No cnd v luci ćans I si;

Wn de h’l frīz in mud t ɖ maro,

Ɖen lc hiz last on Pic̣di.’

Ɖo bitr ɖ wrd v ɖz frst twen

Crsz ɖ ʈrd spat venṃsli;

‘H’l ste untućt tl ɖ wor’z last dōnñ

Ɖn liv wn aur v aġni.’

Layrz ɖ frst tū wr. Bhold m

At slǒpñ armz bî wn – tū – ʈri;

Wêtñ ɖ tîm I śl dscuvr

Ẃɖr ɖ ʈrd speic veṛti.

CLASICS IN ÑSPEL