by Thomas Pickering (1745 - 1829)
The minstrel
Language: English
Keen blaws the wind o'er Donocht head, The snaw drives snelly thro' the dale, The Gaberlunzie tirls my sneck, And shivering tells his waefu' tale -- Cauld is the night, O let me in, And dinna let your minstrel fa', And dinna let his winding-sheet Be naething but a wreath o' snaw. Full ninety winters hae I seen. And pip'd whar gorcocks whirring flew; And mony a day ye've danc'd, I ween. To lilts that frae my drone I blew. My Eppie wak'd and soon she cried. Get up, gudeman, and let him in. For weel ye ken the winter night Was short when he began his din. My Eppie's voice, O wow its sweet! E'en tho' she bans and scolds a wee, But when its tun'd to sorrow's tale, O haith! its doubly dear to me." Come in, auld carle, I'll [rouse]1 my fire, [And]2 make it bleeze a bonnie flame; Your bluid is thin, ye've tint the gate, You should na stray sae far frae hame. Nae hame hae I, the minstrel said. Sad party strife o'erturn'd my ha'. And, weeping, at the eve o' life, I wander through a wreath o' snaw.
J. Haydn sets stanzas 1-2, 5-6
Glossary
Snelly = bitter, biking
Gaberlunzie = tinker
Tirls my sneck = tries to open my door
Bans = swears in a passion
Wee = little
Haith = a petty oath
Auld carle = old man
Ye've tint the gate = you have lost the road
1 Haydn: "steer"
2 Haydn: "I'll"
Text Authorship:
- by Thomas Pickering (1745 - 1829), "The minstrel" [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):
- by (Franz) Joseph Haydn (1732 - 1809), "The minstrel", Hob. XXXIa:115bis, JHW. XXXII/3 no. 239, stanzas 1-2,5-6. [voice and piano] [text verified 1 time]
Researcher for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani
This text was added to the website: 2009-07-14
Line count: 28
Word count: 194