by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796)
O Philly, happy be that day
Language: Scottish (Scots)
Our translations: FRE
CHORUS
He and She
For a' the joys that gowd can gie,
I dinna care a single flie !
The lad/lass I love 's the lad/lass for me
And that 's my ain dear Willy/Philly
I
He
O Philly, happy be that day
When, roving thro' the gather'd hay,
My youthfu' heart was stown away,
And by thy charms, my Philly !
She
O Willy, ay I bless the grove
Where first I own'd my maiden love.
Whilst thou did pledge the Powers above
To be my ain dear Willy.
II
He
As songsters of the early year
Are ilka day mair sweet to hear,
So ilka day to me mair dear
And charming is my Philly.
She
As on the brier the budding rose
Still richer breathes, and fairer blows,
So in my tender bosom grows
The love I bear my Willy.
III
He
The milder sun and bluer sky,
That crown my harvest cares wi' joy,
Were ne'er sae welcome to my eye
As is a sight o' Philly.
She
The little swallow's wanton wing,
Tho' wafting o'er the flowery spring,
Did ne'er to me sic tidings bring
As meeting o' my Willy.
IV
He
The bee, that thro' the sunny hour
Sips nectar in the op'ning flower,
Compar'd wi' my delight is poor
Upon the lips o' Philly.
She
The woodbine in the dewy weet,
When ev'ning shades in silence meet,
Is nocht sae fragrant or sae sweet
As is a kiss o' Willy.
V
He
Let Fortune's wheel at random rin,
And fools may tyne, and knaves may win !
My thoughts are a' bound up on ane.
And that 's my ain dear Philly.
She
What 's a' the joys that gowd can gie ?
I dinna care a single flie !
The lad I love 's the lad for me.
And that 's my ain dear Willy.
(CHORUS)
Confirmed with The Complete Poetical Works of Robert Burns, Cambridge edition, Boston and New York, Houghton Mifflin Company, 1897, page 295.
Researcher for this page: Pierre Mathé [Guest Editor]
Text Authorship:
- by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "O Philly, happy be that day" [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 Scottish (Scots), [adaptation] ; composed by Joseph Haydn.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "O Philly, que ce jour soit heureux", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Pierre Mathé [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2014-08-02
Line count: 62
Word count: 312