Nae gentle dames, tho' ne'er sae fair, Shall ever be my muse's care; Their titles a' are empty show; Gie me my Highland Lassie, O. Within the glen sae bushy, O; Aboon the plain sae rushy, O, I set me down wi' right gude will, To sing my Highland Lassie, O. O were yon hills and valleys mine, Yon palace and yon gardens fine! The world then the love should know I bear my Highland Lassie, O. Within the glen sae bushy, O; Aboon the plain sae rushy, O, I set me down wi' right gude will, To sing my Highland Lassie, O. But fickle fortune frowns on me, And I maun cross the raging sea; But while my crimson current flow. I love my Highland Lassie, O. Within the glen sae bushy, O; Aboon the plain sae rushy, O, I set me down wi' right gude will, To sing my Highland Lassie, O. Altho' thro' foreign climes I range, I know her heart will never change, For her bosum burns with honor's glow, My faithful Highland Lassie, O. Within the glen sae bushy, O; Aboon the plain sae rushy, O, I set me down wi' right gude will, To sing my Highland Lassie, O. For her I'll dare the billow's roar; For her I'll trace a distant shore; That Indian wealth may lustre throw Around my Highland Lassie, O. Within the glen sae bushy, O; Aboon the plain sae rushy, O, I set me down wi' right gude will, To sing my Highland Lassie, O. She has my heart, she has my hand, By secret truth and honor's band! Till the mortal stroke shall lay me low, I'm thine, my Highland Lassie, O. Within the glen sae bushy, O; Aboon the plain sae rushy, O, I set me down wi' right gude will, To sing my Highland Lassie, O. Farewell the glen sae bushy, O! Farewell the plain sae rushy, O! To other lands I now must go To sing my Highland Lassie, O!
Authorship:
- by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "The Highland Lassie, O" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- [ None yet in the database ]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Wilhelm Christoph Leonhard Gerhard (1780 - 1858) , "Das Hochlandmädchen" [an adaptation] ; composed by Robert Schumann.
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by (Johann) Philipp Kaufmann (1802 - 1846) , "Nein, edle Damen, noch so schön", appears in Gedichte von Robert Burns, first published 1839 ; composed by Carl Heinrich Döring, Otto Dresel, Robert Emmerich, Robert Franz.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CZE Czech (Čeština) (Josef Václav Sládek) , "Děvče z hor"
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2004-06-29
Line count: 52
Word count: 335
O květu vzácných dvorských dam já žádnou píseň nezpívám jich titulům a lesku vzdor: mně dejte moje děvče z hor! Tam na křovité dolině, tam v rákosité planině, já sednu v trávu nebo v bor a zpívám o své dívce z hor. Ó kdyby můj byl tamten hrad, ty hory, doly, panský sad, já všemu světu na úkor bych miloval své děvče z hor. Mne ale sudby mračivé přes moře ženou bouřlivé; však nežli žití skončí spor, chci milovati děvče z hor. Ať od sebe jsme vzdáleni, mé srdce k ní se nezmění, neb andělsky je čistý tvor mé dobré, věrné děvče z hor. Já pro ni jedu v bouře šleh, já pro ni hledám dálný břeh, bych zlatem Indu krásy vzor, ji, ozdobil, mé děvče z hor. Má srdce mé a ruku, čest a dokud slunce všech mých cest se nenachýlí za obzor, jsem tvůj, ty moje děvče z hor! Buď zdráva, stinná dolino, ty rákositá planino! Jdu v dál, však budu sudbě vzdor tam zpívat o své dívce z hor.
Confirmed with BURNS, Robert. Výbor z písní a ballad, translated by Josef Václav Sládek, Praha: J. Otto, 1892.
Authorship:
- by Josef Václav Sládek (1845 - 1912), "Děvče z hor" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Scottish (Scots) by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "The Highland Lassie, O"
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- [ None yet in the database ]
Researcher for this page: Andrew Schneider [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2019-08-11
Line count: 32
Word count: 172