The steady peal of church bells
Rang out without a care,
Borne on a biting east wind
With snowflakes in the air.

The warming chimes were carried
On blizzard driven gales,
That bleached the parish rooftops
And whitewashed once green dales.

A bleak midwinter blanket
Stretched well beyond the eye,
Up to the far horizon
Where pasture meets the sky.

While in the vale, a cluster
Of houses fought the chill
Beneath a bleating bell tower
And chapel on the hill.