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Reflections of a working writer and reader

 

 

John Clare and a Nightingale

john baker, January 24th, 2011. No comments. Filed under literature, music, quotations, writing.

John Clare heard a Nightingale singing in an apple tree outside his window in May 1832. He transcribed it like this:

Chew chew chee chew chee
chew – cheer cheer cheer
chew chew chew chee
up cheer up cheer up
tweet tweet tweet jug jug jug

wew wew wew – chur chur
woo it woo it tweet tweet
tweet jug jug jug

tee rew tee rew tee rew – gur
gur – chew rit chew rit – chur-chur-chur
chur will-will will-will tweet-em
tweet em jug jug jug jug
grig grig grig chew chew
wevy wit wevy wit
wevy wit – cheet chit
chee-chit chee chit
weewit weewit wee
wit cheer cheer
cheer – pelew
pelew pelew -
bring a jug bring a
jug bring a jug

This one was published in Brick Magazine 86 in a piece by Richard Mabey
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