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I do confess thou art sae fair, I wad been o'er the lugs in luve; Had I na found, the slightest prayer That lips could speak, thy heart could muve. I do confess thee sweet, but find Thou art sae thriftless o' thy sweets, Thy favors are the silly wind That kisseth ilka thing it meets. See yonder rose-bud, rich in dew, Amang its native briers sae coy, How sune it tines its scent and hue, When pu'd and worn a common toy! Sic fate ere lang shall thee betide, Tho' thou may gayly bloom a while, Yet sune thou shalt be thrown aside, Like ony common weed and vile.
Text Authorship:
- by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "I do confess thou art sae fair" [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), "I do confess thou art sae fair", Hob. XXXIa no. 110, JHW. XXXII/2 no. 110 [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CZE Czech (Čeština) (Josef Václav Sládek) , "Já přiznávám, že krásná jsi"
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Je confesse que tu es si belle", 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 between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 110
Je confesse que tu es si belle Que je serais tombé amoureux jusqu'aux oreilles Si je n'avais découvert que la moindre prière Prononcée par des lèvres, pouvait émouvoir ton cœur. Je confesse que tu es douce, mais je trouve Que tu es bien peu économe de tes douceurs, Tes faveurs sont comme un vent stupide Qui embrasse tout ce qu'il rencontre. Vois là-bas ce bouton de rose, plein de rosée, Si coquet dans sa lande natale, Combien vite il perd son parfum et sa couleur Quand il est coupé et porté comme un colifichet ! Tu partageras avant peu un tel destin, Bien que tu puisses encore un moment fleurir gaiement, Tu seras pourtant bientôt jetée de côté, Comme une abominable et quelconque mauvaise herbe.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from Scottish (Scots) to French (Français) copyright © 2014 by Pierre Mathé, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
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Based on:
- a text in Scottish (Scots) by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "I do confess thou art sae fair"
This text was added to the website: 2014-09-22
Line count: 16
Word count: 124