Ar ol grae duck she stawl er nest
An laed out en tha feels:
An wen tha young wauns ded cum foath
They ad noa tayls nur beels.
They ad noa tayls nur beels,
They ad noa tayls nur beels.
An wen tha young wauns ded come foath
They ad noa tayls nur beels.

Two eggs woz addle, an wan woz broak
An they we thraw’d away;
Tha young wauns cudn clunk nur swem -
They oll dyd that saem day.

Nex tym we’ll put er up en tha baarn
Er tye er by tha eels:
Tha young wauns then may av a chance
Ta graw ther tayls an beels.
 

Ralph Dunstan in Cornish Dialect & Folk Songs, says “This song is known in all parts of West Cornwall, and is sung to various tunes – mostly well-known hymn-tunes. Verses 2 and 3 are reconstructed from fragments.” Here the tune is shared with the carol ‘The Seven Joys of Mary.’

The song was collected with some Dialect modifications showing that it was a piece that originated and developed through the medium of Cornish Dialect. For the meaning of clunk, beel etc. see the Glossary.
 

[Text3:'Main body text']