by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796)
O Philly, happy be that day
Language: Scottish (Scots)
Available translation(s): FRE
CHORUS He and She For a' the joys that gowd can gie, I dinna care a single flie ! The lad/lass I love 's the lad/lass for me And that 's my ain dear Willy/Philly I He O Philly, happy be that day When, roving thro' the gather'd hay, My youthfu' heart was stown away, And by thy charms, my Philly ! She O Willy, ay I bless the grove Where first I own'd my maiden love. Whilst thou did pledge the Powers above To be my ain dear Willy. II He As songsters of the early year Are ilka day mair sweet to hear, So ilka day to me mair dear And charming is my Philly. She As on the brier the budding rose Still richer breathes, and fairer blows, So in my tender bosom grows The love I bear my Willy. III He The milder sun and bluer sky, That crown my harvest cares wi' joy, Were ne'er sae welcome to my eye As is a sight o' Philly. She The little swallow's wanton wing, Tho' wafting o'er the flowery spring, Did ne'er to me sic tidings bring As meeting o' my Willy. IV He The bee, that thro' the sunny hour Sips nectar in the op'ning flower, Compar'd wi' my delight is poor Upon the lips o' Philly. She The woodbine in the dewy weet, When ev'ning shades in silence meet, Is nocht sae fragrant or sae sweet As is a kiss o' Willy. V He Let Fortune's wheel at random rin, And fools may tyne, and knaves may win ! My thoughts are a' bound up on ane. And that 's my ain dear Philly. She What 's a' the joys that gowd can gie ? I dinna care a single flie ! The lad I love 's the lad for me. And that 's my ain dear Willy. (CHORUS)
Confirmed with The Complete Poetical Works of Robert Burns, Cambridge edition, Boston and New York, Houghton Mifflin Company, 1897, page 295.
Researcher for this page: Pierre Mathé [Guest Editor]
Authorship:
- by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "O Philly, happy be that day" [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 Scottish (Scots), [adaptation] ; composed by Joseph Haydn.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "O Philly, que ce jour soit heureux", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Pierre Mathé [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2014-08-02
Line count: 62
Word count: 315