by Allan Ramsay (1686 - 1758)
O Sandy, why leav'st thou thy Nelly to...
Language: English
O Sandy, why leav'st thou thy Nelly to mourn? Thy presence could ease me, When naething can please me: Now dowie I sigh on the bank of the burn, Or thro' the wood, laddie, until thou return Tho' woods now are bonny, and mornings are clear, While lav'rocks are singing, And primroses springing; Yet nane of them pleases my eye or my ear When thro' the wood, laddie, ye dinna appear. That I am forsaken, some spare not to tell: I'm fash'd wi' their scorning, Baith ev'ning and morning; Their jeering gaes aft to my heart wi' a knell, When thro' the wood, laddie, I wander mysel. Then stay, my dear Sandy, nae langer away, But quick as an arrow, Hast here to thy marrow, Wha's living in languor till that happy day, When thro' the wood, laddie, we'll dance, sing, and play.
J. Haydn sets stanzas 1-2, 4
About the headline (FAQ)
Glossary: dowie = worn with grief;lav'rocks = larks
Authorship:
- by Allan Ramsay (1686 - 1758), "Throw the Wood, Laddie" [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), "Thro' the wood, laddie", Hob. XXXIa:181, JHW XXXII/3 no. 156, stanzas 1-2,4. [text verified 1 time]
Researcher for this page: Guy Laffaille [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2008-06-08
Line count: 20
Word count: 143