by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796)

Hooly and fairly
Language: Scottish (Scots) 
Our translations:  FRE
Oh! what had I ado for to marry!
My wife she drinks naething but sack and canary,
I to her friends complain'd right early,
  O! gin my wife wou'd drink hooly and fairly.
  Hooly and fairly; hooly and fairly,
  O! gin my wife wou'd drink hooly and fairly.

[...]

And when she comes hame, she lays on the lads,
The lasses she ca's baith limmers and jades,
And ca's mysel' ay an auld cuckold carlie;
  O gin my wife, &c.

Glossary

Gin = if only
Hooly = slowly
Limmers = strumpets
Jades = familiar term among country folks for giddy young girls
Auld cuckold carlie = little old man

Text Authorship:

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

Available translations, adaptations, and transliterations (if applicable):

  • FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , title 1: "Oh pourquoi ai-je pris la peine de me marier !", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani

This text was added to the website: 2009-08-27
Line count: 11
Word count: 80