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O leeze me on my spinnin-wheel! And leeze me on my rock and reel, Frae tap to tae that cleeds me bien, And haps me fiel and warm at e'en! I'll set me down and sing and spin, While laigh descends the simmer sun, Blest wi' content, and milk and meal – O leeze me on my spinnin-wheel! On ilka hand the burnies trot, And meet below my theekit cot. The scented birk and hawthorn white Across the pool their arms unite, Alike to screen the birdie's nest And little fishes' callor rest: The sun blinks kindly in the biel' Where, blythe I turn my spinnin wheel. On lofty aiks the cushats wail, And Echo cons the doolfu' tale; The lintwhites in the hazel braes, Delighted, rival ithers lays: The craik amang the claver hay, The pairtrick whirrin o'er the ley, The swallow jinkin round my shiel, Amuse me at my spinnin wheel.- Wi' sma' to sell, and less to buy, Aboon distress, below envy, O wha wad leave this humble state, For a' the pride of a' the Great? Amid their flairing, idle toys, Amid their cumbrous, dinsome joys, Can they the peace and pleasure feel Of Bessy at her spinnin wheel!
Authorship:
- by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "Bess and her spinning wheel" [author's text checked 2 times 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), "Bess and her spinning wheel", Hob. XXXIa no. 147, JHW. XXXII/2 no. 147 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Francis George Scott (1880 - 1958), "Bess and her spinning wheel", c1929 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Georg Pertz (1830 - 1870) ; composed by Bruno Ramann.
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CZE Czech (Čeština) (Josef Václav Sládek) , "U kolovrátku"
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Oh que j'aime mon rouet !", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 32
Word count: 203
Oh que j'aime mon rouet ! Oh que j'aime ma quenouille et ma bobine, Qui m'habille bien, des pieds à la tête, Et m'enveloppe confortablement et chaudement le soir ! Je vais m'installer et chanter et filer, Tandis que le soleil d'été descend sur l'horizon, Pourvue de plaisir, de lait et de farine, Oh que j'aime mon rouet ! De chaque côté, les flots courent Et se rejoignent sous ma chaumière. Le bouleau odorant et la blanche aubépine Marient leurs bras au-dessus de l'étang, Comme pour masquer le nid des petits oiseaux Et rafraîchir le repos des petits poissons : Le soleil brille gentiment dans l'abri Où je fais gaiement tourner mon rouet. Sur les grands chênes la palombe gémit, Et Écho prolonge sa triste histoire ; Les linottes dans les noisetiers de la côte, Ravies, entre elles rivalisent de chants : Le râle des genêts dans le foin à trèfle, La perdrix vrombissant au-dessus de la prairie, L'hirondelle se jetant autour de mon abri, Me divertissent à mon rouet. Avec peu à vendre, et moins à acheter, Au-dessus de la détresse, en-dessous de l'envie, Ô, qui quitterait cet humble état Pour toute la splendeur de tous les Grands ? Au milieu de leurs jouets flamboyants, immobiles, Au milieu de leurs joies confuses, bruyantes, Peuvent-ils ressentir la paix et le plaisir De Bessy à son rouet ?
Authorship:
- Translation from Scottish (Scots) to French (Français) copyright © 2014 by Pierre Mathé, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
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Based on:
- a text in Scottish (Scots) by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "Bess and her spinning wheel"
This text was added to the website: 2014-08-04
Line count: 32
Word count: 227