by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796)
Oonagh
Language: Scottish (Scots)
Sae flaxen were her ringlets, Her eye-brows of a darker hue, Bewitchingly o'er arching Twa laughing een o' bonnie blue. Her smiling, sae wyling, Wou'd make a wretch forget his woe; What pleasure, what treasure, Unto those rosy lips to grow: Such was my Chloris' bonnie face, When first her bonnie face I saw; And ay my Chloris' dearest charm, She says she lo'es me best of a'. Like harmony her motion; Her pretty ancle is a spy, Betraying fair proportion, Wou'd make a saint forget the sky; Sae warming, sae charming, Her fautless form and gracefu' air; Ilk feature -- auld nature Declar'd that she cou'd do nae mair! Her's are the willing chains o' love, By conquering beauty's sov'reign law; And ay my Chloris' dearest charm, She says she lo'es me best of a'. Let others love the city, And gaudy shew at sunny noon; Gi'e me the lonely valley, The dewy eve, the rising moon; Fair beaming, and streaming Her silver light the boughs amang; While falling, recalling, The amorous thrush concludes his sang; There, dearest Chloris, wilt thou rove By wimpling burn and leafy shaw, And hear my vows o' truth and love, And say thou lo'es me best of a'.
Glossary
Researcher for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani
Een = eyes
Wyling = beguiling
Ilk = each, every
Burn = meandering stream
Shaw = woody grove by a water side
Authorship:
- by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796) [author's text not yet checked 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):
- by (Franz) Joseph Haydn (1732 - 1809), "Oonagh", Hob. XXXIa no. 249, JHW. XXXII/3 no. 220. [text verified 1 time]
Researcher for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani
This text was added to the website: 2009-08-27
Line count: 36
Word count: 204