O Willie brew'd a peck o' maut, And Rob and Allan cam to see; Three blyther hearts, that lee lang night, Ye wad na found in Christendie. Chorus: We are na fou, we're [nae]1 that fou, But just a drappie in our e'e; The cock may craw, the day may daw, And ay we'll taste the barley bree. Here are we met, three merry boys, Three merry boys I trow are we; And mony a night we've merry been, And mony mae we hope to be! We are na fou, we're nae that fou... It is the moon, I ken her horn, That 's blinkin in the lift sae hie; She shines sae bright to wyle us hame, But by my sooth she'll wait a wee! We are na fou, we're nae that fou... Wha first shall rise to gang awa, A cuckold, coward loun is he! Wha first beside his chair shall fa', He is the king amang us three! We are na fou, we're nae that fou...
1 Haydn: "no"
Glossary
Maut = dry measure of malt
Lee lang = live-long
We are na fou = we are not drunk
Drappy = little drop
Bree = ale
Lift = sky
Wyle = entice
Loun = ragamuffin
Authorship:
- by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796) [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 happy trio", Hob. XXXIa:243, JHW. XXXII/3 no. 260 [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CZE Czech (Čeština) (Josef Václav Sládek) , "Veselá trojice"
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Le joyeux trio", copyright © 2019, (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: 24
Word count: 169
Ó Willie načal soudeček a Rob i Allan byl tu hned, v tu noc po celém křesťanstvu žeť lepších brachů nevidět. Nám žízeň hrdlo potrhá a proto třeba pivo ctít, i ať si kohout kokrhá a den se dní, my budem pít! My jsme tři hoši veselí, tři statní hoši z Mokrovic, my probili tak mnohou noc a doufáme jich probít víc. Hle, měsíček je vysoko, já znám ten jeho bílý roh, chce na mou čest nás domů vést, to by si ještě počkat moh'. Zván lotr buď a dareba, kdo od korbele první vstal; kdo poslední pad' pod židli, ten trojice je naší král! Nám žízeň hrdlo potrhá a proto třeba pivo ctít, i ať si kohout kokrhá a den se dní, my budem pít!
Confirmed with BURNS, Robert. Výbor z písní a ballad, translated by Josef Václav Sládek, Praha: J. Otto, 1892.
Authorship:
- by Josef Václav Sládek (1845 - 1912), "Veselá trojice" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Scottish (Scots) by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796)
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 ]
Researcher for this page: Andrew Schneider [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2019-08-12
Line count: 24
Word count: 126