by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796)
Translation by Josef Václav Sládek (1845 - 1912)
What can a young lassie do
Language: Scottish (Scots)
Available translation(s): FRE
What can a young lassie, what shall a young lassie, What can a young lassie do wi' an auld man? Bad luck on the penny that tempted my minny To sell her poor Jenny for siller and lan He's always compleenin frae mornin' to e'enin, He hosts and he hirples the weary day lang: He's doyl't and he's dozin, his blude it is frozen, O dool on the day I met wi' an auld man. He hums and he hankers, he frets and he cankers, I never can please him, do a' that I can; He's peevish, and jealous of a' the young fellows, 0 dool on the day I met wi' an auld man! My auld auntie Katie upon me takes pity, I'll do my endeavour to follow her plan; I'll cross him, and wrack him, until I heart-break him, And then his auld brass will buy me a new pan!
minny= mother;
hosts = coughs;
hirples = limps;
doyl't = stupid;
dozin = almost lifeless;
dool = sorrow;
hankers = wavers;
cankers = snarls;
wrack = tease
Researcher for this page: Guy Laffaille [Guest Editor]
hosts = coughs;
hirples = limps;
doyl't = stupid;
dozin = almost lifeless;
dool = sorrow;
hankers = wavers;
cankers = snarls;
wrack = tease
Authorship:
- by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796) [author's text not yet checked 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), "What can a young lassie do", Hob. XXXIa:134bis, JHW XXXII/3 no. 193 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CZE Czech (Čeština) (Josef Václav Sládek) , "Co má děvče mladé…"
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Que peut faire une jeune gamine", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Guy Laffaille [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2008-06-08
Line count: 16
Word count: 152
Co má děvče mladé…
Language: Czech (Čeština)  after the Scottish (Scots)
Co má děvče mladé, co má děvče mladé, co má děvče mladé dělat se starcem? Provdala jste, matko, dcerku ubožátko plesnivému starci, ďas to zlato vem! Celý den si stýská, v plících mu to píská, zná ho celá víska podle kašle už; hloupý je, ó nebe! krev má, až to zebe, a těch smutných nocí, kde je starý muž! Vadí se a bručí, hašteří a hučí, pro všechno mne mučí, s ničím spokojen; pořád za mnou slídí, hochy nenávidí, když jsem si ho brala, nešťastný byl den! Byla by už veta, kdyby stará teta z celého mne světa netěšila přec: utrápím tu zlobu do tmavého hrobu, pak za starý mosaz novou koupím klec.
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), "Co má děvče mladé…" [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: 16
Word count: 113