With a nod of the head, or a grip of the hand,
He will give you his bond, that for ever will stand,
And nothing much safer you’ll find in the land;
For that is the badge of a Yorkshireman.
He may be reserved in his manner and speech,
And hide the fine graces of which pedants preach;
But he is kind and sincere when his heart you once reach,
For that is the badge of a Yorkshireman.
In his pastimes and sports he will try all the way,
And, back to the wall, make his greatest display;
He asks not for favours, but only fair play,
For that is the badge of a Yorkshireman.
I have met him away from his own native dales,
In cities and lands where strange language prevails;
Yet a breath of his county he always exhales,
and thus you will know he’s a Yorkshireman.
(author unknown)
