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The Broken Heart

by William Barnes

News o' grief had overteaken

Dark-eyed Fanny, now vorseaken;

There she zot, wi' breast a-heaven,

While vrom zide to zide, wi' grieven,

Vell her head, wi' tears a-creepen

Down her cheaks, in bitter weepen.

There wer still the ribbon-bow

She tied avore her hour ov woe,

An' there wer still the hans that tied it

Hangen white,

Or wringen tight,

In ceare that drowned all ceare bezide it.

When a man, wi' heartless slighten,

Mid become a maiden's blighten,

He mid cearelessly vorseake her,

But must answer to her Meaker;

He mid slight, wi' selfish blindness,

All her deeds o' loven-kindness,

God wull waigh 'em wi' the slighten

That mid be her love's requiten;

He do look on each deceiver,

He do know

What weight o' woe

Do break the heart ov ev'ry griever.