by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796)
Translation by Wilhelm Christoph Leonhard Gerhard (1780 - 1858)
O Mary, at thy window be!
Language: Scottish (Scots)
Our translations: FRE
O Mary, at thy window be! It is the wish'd the trysted hour. Those smiles and glances let me see, That makes the miser's treasure poor. How blythely wad I bide the stoure, A weary slave frae sun to sun, Could I the rich reward secure -- The lovely Mary Morison! Yestreen, when to the trembling string The dance gaed thro the lighted ha', To thee my fancy took its wing, I sat, but neither heard or saw: Tho' this was fair, and that was braw, And yon the toast of a' the town, I sigh'd, and said amang them a' -- "Ye are na Mary Morison!" O, Mary, canst thou wreck his peace Wha for thy sake wad gladly die? Or canst thou break that heart of his Whase only faut is loving thee? If love for love thou wilt na gie, At least be pity to me shown: A thought ungentle canna be The thought o' Mary Morison.
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with The Complete Poetical Works of Robert Burns, Cambridge edition, Boston and New York, Houghton Mifflin Company, 1897, page 299.
Text Authorship:
- by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "Mary Morison" [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 Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827), "O Mary, at thy window be", op. 108 (25 schottische Lieder mit Begleitung von Pianoforte, Violine und Violoncello) no. 17 (1815) [ voice, violin, violoncello, piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Francis George Scott (1880 - 1958), "Mary Morison", published 1922 [ male voice and piano ], from Scottish Lyrics, Book 2, no. 5, Bayley & Ferguson [sung text not yet checked]
- by Arthur Somervell, Sir (1863 - 1937), "Mary Morison", 1885, published 1886 [ voice and piano ], from Six Songs by Robert Burns, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Arthur Sullivan, Sir (1842 - 1900), "Mary Morison" [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Maude Valérie White (1855 - 1937), "Mary Morison", published 1883 [ voice and piano ], London: Chappell & Co. [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Wilhelm Christoph Leonhard Gerhard (1780 - 1858) , "Mary Morison " ; composed by Alexander Fesca.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CZE Czech (Čeština) (Josef Václav Sládek) , "Mary Morison"
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Mary Morison", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Anonymous/Unidentified Artist) , "Mariechen, komm ans Fensterlein"
- GER German (Deutsch) (Gustav Legerlotz) , "Mary Morison"
- HUN Hungarian (Magyar) (József Lévay) , "Morison Mari"
Researcher for this page: Pierre Mathé [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 158
Mary Morison
Language: German (Deutsch) after the Scottish (Scots)
Our translations: ENG
O Mary, komm an's Fensterlein! Die Stunde süßer Wonne winkt; Mich labe deiner Blicke Schein Der Gold und Kronen überblinkt! Wie gern ertrüg' ich vom Geschick, Ein Sklav im Staube, Zwang und Hohn: Belohnte mich ein süßer Blick Der schönen Mary Morison! Verwichne Nacht, bei Saitenklang, Bei Jubel Tanz und Kerzenlicht, Dacht' ich in meines Herzens Drang An dich, und sah und hörte nicht. Wohl schwang sich manche hübsche Maid Im Tanze zu der Pfeifen Ton; Ich aber sagt': ihr Alle seid Doch keine Mary Morison! Und hassen ihn -- o denke nach! -- Ihn, der für dich sein Leben giebt? Ihn kränken, der doch nichts verbrach, Als daß er dich geliebt und liebt? -- Und darf er dir nicht Liebe weihn, Sei Haß nicht seiner Treue Lohn: Unedler Denkart fähig sein Kann keine Mary Morison!
Confirmed with Robert Burns' Gedichte. Deutsch von W. Gerhard., Leipzig, Verlag von Joh. Ambr. Barth, 1840, pages 251-252
Text Authorship:
- by Wilhelm Christoph Leonhard Gerhard (1780 - 1858), "Mary Morison " [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Scottish (Scots) by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "Mary Morison"
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Alexander Fesca (1820 - 1849), "Mary Morison", op. 22 no. 1, published 1842 [soprano or tenor and piano], from Drei Gedichte von R. Burns für Sopran oder Tenor mit Pianoforte, no. 1, Carlsruhe, Creuzbauer und Nöldecke [ sung text not verified ]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Mary Morison", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2015-11-11
Line count: 24
Word count: 133