Translation by Theodor Fontane (1819 - 1898)
Lord Maxwell's last goodnight
Language: English
"Adieu, madame, my mother dear, But and my sisters three! Adieu, fair Robert of Orchardstane! My heart is wae for thee. "Adieu, the lily and the rose, The primrose fair to see; Adieu, my ladye, and only joy! For I may not stay with thee. "Though I hae slain the Lord Johnstone, What care I for their feid? My noble mind does still incline -- He was my father's deid. "Both night and day I labour'd oft Of him avenged to be; But now I've got what lang I sought And I may not stay with thee. "Adieu! Drumlanrig, false wert aye, And Closeburn in a band! The Laird of Lag, frae my father that fled, When the Johnstone struck aff his hand. "They were three brethren in a band -- Joy may they never see! Their treacherous art, and cowardly heart, Has twined my love and me. "Adieu! Dumfries, my proper place, But and Carlaverock fair! Adieu! my castle of the Thrieve, Wi' a' my buildings there! "Adieu! Lochmaben's gate sae fair, And Langholm, where birks there be; Adieu! my ladye, and only joy, For I may not stay wi' thee. "Adieu! Fair Eskdale up and down, Where my puir friends do dwell; The bangisters will ding them down, And will them sair compell. "But I'll avenge their feid mysell, When I come o'er the sea; Adieu! my ladye, and only joy, For I may not stay wi' thee."-- "Lord of the land, will you go then Unto my father's place, And walk into their gardens green, And I will you embrace. "There Hamiltons, and Douglas baith, Shall rise to succour thee."-- "Thanks for thy kindness, fair my dame, But I may not stay wi' thee."-- Then he tuik aff a gay gold ring, Thereat hang signets three; "Hae, tak thee that, mine ain kind thing, And still hae mind o' me! "But if thou take another lord, Ere I come ower the sea, His life is but a three days' lease, Though I may not stay wi' thee." The wind was fair, the ship was clear, That good lord went away; And most part of his friends were there, To give him a fair convey. They drank the wine, they didna spare Even in that gude lord's sight -- Sae now he 's o'er the floods sae gray, And Lord Maxwell has ta'en his Goodnight.
GLOSSARY:
my father's deid = the death of my father.
twined = parted.
bangisters = lawless folk.
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
my father's deid = the death of my father.
twined = parted.
bangisters = lawless folk.
Authorship:
- from Volkslieder (Folksongs) , "Lord Maxwell's last goodnight", appears in Reliques of Ancient English Poetry, collected by Thomas Percy [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):
- [ None yet in the database ]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Theodor Fontane (1819 - 1898) , "Lord Maxwell's Lebewohl" ; composed by Martin Plüddemann.
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2011-09-21
Line count: 64
Word count: 394
Lord Maxwells Lebewohl
Language: German (Deutsch)  after the English
"Leb wohl, leb wohl, liebe Mutter mein Und leb wohl, meines Vaters Haus, Lebt wohl, es soll geschieden sein, Ich muß in die See hinaus; Leb wohl, du Garten im Sonnenschein, Drin die Maienglöckchen stehn, Und leb wohl, lieb Lady, Du Rose mein, Ich muß von dannen gehn. "Lord Johnston erschlug ich am Wege hier, Es war eine dunkle Nacht, Lord Johnston erschlug meinen Vater mir, Und so hab ich's quitt gemacht; Drei Jahre harrt' ich bei Nacht, bei Tag, Meinen Vater gerächt zu sehn, Ich hab nicht Reu, was kommen mag, Aber von Dir muß ich gehn. "Und hätt' ich Reu, ich dächt' an den Tag, Der wie gestern vor mir steht, Wo mein Vater auf seinen Knieen lag Und die Johnstons um Gnade gefleht; Sie hieben ihm ab die flehende Hand, Geschehn ist, was geschehn, Nun muß ich lassen Lieb' und Land Und, lieb Lady, von Dir gehn. "Leb wohl, Carnarven, mein Fels, mein Schloß, Leb wohl auf manches Jahr, Leb wohl, du Wald, du stiller Genoß, Darinnen ich glücklich war, Leb wohl, Lochmabens Birkenhain Und du Platz, wo die Tannen stehn, Und vor allem leb wohl, lieb Lady mein, Denn ich muß von Dir gehn." Sie hielt ihn an ihr Herz gepreßt: ""Bleib hier und bleibe mir! Meines Bruders Schloß ist stark und fest Und doppelt fest mit Dir; Die Hamiltons und die Douglas beid', Sie werden zu uns stehn, -- "Es bricht mein Herz in Weh und Leid, Aber von Dir muß ich gehn." Er nahm einen Ring, an dem Ringe hing Ein Kreuz von rothem Stein: "Nimm hin den Ring und trage den Ring Und vor allem gedenke mein, Denn ach, vergäßest Du mich je, Um nach andrem Glück zu sehn, Rückflög' ich über die schäumende See Und um alles war' es geschehn." Der Tag war grau, das Deck war klar, Lord Maxwell ging zu Schiff, Der Wind in allen Segeln war, Die Bootsmannspfeife pfiff; Ein Streifen schwand das Ufer jetzt, "Ade!" die See ging hohl. Und Wind und Wogen verschlangen zuletzt Lord Maxwell's Lebewohl.
Authorship:
- by Theodor Fontane (1819 - 1898), "Lord Maxwell's Lebewohl" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in English from Volkslieder (Folksongs) , "Lord Maxwell's last goodnight", appears in Reliques of Ancient English Poetry, collected by Thomas Percy
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Martin Plüddemann (1854 - 1897), "Lord Maxwells Lebewohl", published 1899 [voice and piano], from [Fünf] Balladen und Gesänge für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte, Band 6 (Fontane-Band), no. 4, Nürnberg, Schmid [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2011-09-21
Line count: 56
Word count: 339