Jolie petite chose | Jolie petite chose, rusée petite chose

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by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796)

Translation © by Pierre Mathé

Bonnie wee thing, canie wee thing

Language: Scottish (Scots)

Our translations: FRE

Chorus
 Bonnie wee thing, canie wee thing,
  Lovely wee thing, [was]¹ thou mine;
 I wad wear thee in my bosom,
  Least my Jewel I should tine. -

Wishfully I look and languish
  In that bonie face o' thine;
And my heart it stounds wi' anguish,
  Least my wee thing be na mine. -
Bonnie wee thing, canie wee thing...

Wit, and Grace, and Love, and Beauty,
  In ae constellation shine;
To adore thee is my duty,
  Goddess o' this soul o' mine!

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)
Note: in some editions, "bonnie" is spelled "bonie"
¹ in some editions, "wert"

Text Authorship:

by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), title 1: "Bonnie wee thing", title 2: "Bonie wee thing" [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), "The bonnie wee thing", JHW. XXXII/5 no. 392, Hob. XXXIa no. 102bis [sung text checked 1 time]
by Humphrey Procter-Gregg (1895 - 1980), "Bonny wee thing" [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

CZE Czech (Čeština) (Josef Václav Sládek) , "Malé hezké stvořeníčko"
FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Jolie petite chose", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 14
Word count: 81

Jolie petite chose

Language: French (Français) after the Scottish (Scots)

Refrain
 Jolie petite chose, rusée petite chose
  Charmante petite chose, si tu étais mienne,
 Je je porterais dans mon cœur,
  De peur de perdre mon bijou.

Je regarde avec langueur et désir
  Le beau visage qui est le tien,
Et mon cœur est saisi d'angoisse
  De peur que ma petite chose ne soit pas mienne.
(Refrain)

Esprit et grâce et amour et beauté
  Brillent dans une seule constellation !
T'adorer est mon devoir,
  Déesse de mon âme !

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.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in Scottish (Scots) by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), title 1: "Bonnie wee thing", title 2: "Bonie wee thing"
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2014-11-10
Line count: 14
Word count: 78