There was a lass, they ca'd her Meg, And she gaed o'er the moor to spin; There was a lad that follow'd her, They ca'd him Duncan Davison. The moor was dreigh, and Meg was skeigh, Her favour Duncan cou'd na win; For wi' the rock she wad him knock, And ay she shook the temper pin. As o'er the moor they lightly foor, A burn was clear, a glen was green: Upon the banks they eas'd their shanks, And ay she set the wheel between; But Duncan swoor a haly aith, That Meg shou'd be a bride the morn; Then Meg took up her spinnin graith, And flang them a' out o'er the burn. O! we will big a wee, wee house, And we will live like king and queen, Sae blythe and merry's we will be. When ye set by the wheel at e'en! A man may drink, and no be drunk; A man may fight, and no be slain; A man may kiss a bonny lass, And ay be welcome back again!
GLOSSARY
Dreigh = dreary, bleak
Skeigh = proud
Rock = spindle
Temper pin = screw used to control tension on a spinning wheel
Foor = went, travelled
Burn = stream
Swoor a haly aith = swore a holy oath
Graith = gear, tools
Big = build
Authorship:
- by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "Duncan Davison" [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), "Duncan Davison", JHW. XXXII/1 no. 26, Hob. XXXIa no. 26 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CZE Czech (Čeština) (Josef Václav Sládek) , "Kdys bylo děvče"
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Duncan Davison", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani
This text was added to the website: 2012-08-14
Line count: 24
Word count: 175
Kdys bylo děvče, zvané Meg, a na přástvy šla přes močál; kdys junák byl a za ní šel a Dunkan Davison se zval. Cos Dunkan řek', — je pyšná Meg a košík dostal údělem; když mluvil víc, neřekla nic a dostal ránu kuželem. Tak spolu dál šli přes močál, až u potoka sedla v chlad, však mezi sebe, mezi něj svůj postavila kolovrat Tu Dunkan svatě přísahal, že vezme si ji s provody, a kolovrat i kuželík Meg zahodila do vody. Já vystavím ti chaloupku; svým štěstím král tak není jist, jak ty a já, můj holoubku, když večer u mne budeš příst. Muž může pít a střízliv být a bojovat a zůstat živ, muž zlíbat může děvčátko a zas být vítán jako dřív!
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), "Kdys bylo děvče" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Scottish (Scots) by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "Duncan Davison"
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: 124