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First when Maggy was my care, Heaven, I thought, was in her air; Now we're married, spier nae mair, [Whistle]1 o'er the lave o't. Meg was meek, and Meg was mild, [Sweet and harmless as a child;]2 Wiser men than me's beguile'd, [Whistle]3 o'er the lave o't. How we live, my Meg and me, How we [love and how we 'gree]4 I care na by how few may see, Whistle o'er the lave o't. Wha I wish were maggots' meat, Dish'd up in her winding-sheet; I could write, -- but Meg maun see't, Whistle o'er the lave o't.
About the headline (FAQ)
View text without footnotes1 Haydn: "But whistle"
2 in some editions of Burns: "Bonnie Meg was nature's child"
3 Haydn: "So whistle"
4 Haydn: "love, and how agree;"
Glossary
Spear = ask, enquire
Lave = rest, remainder
I care na by = I am indifferent
Maun = must
Text Authorship:
- by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "First when Maggy was my care" [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), "Whistle o'er the lave o't", Hob. XXXIa:76bis, JHW. XXXII/3 no. 231. [voice and piano] [text verified 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , title 1: "Sifflez sur ce qu'il en reste", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani
This text was added to the website: 2009-07-15
Line count: 16
Word count: 101
Au début, quand Maggy me tenait à cœur, Je pensais qu'il y avait du ciel dans son air ; Maintenant nous sommes mariés, n'en demandez pas plus, Mais sifflez sur ce qu'il en reste ! Meg était docile et Meg était tendre, [Douce et innocente somme un enfant]1 : Elle a trompé plus avisé que moi, [Sifflez]2 sur ce qu'il en reste ! Comment nous vivons, ma Meg et moi, Comment nous nous aimons et comment nous nous entendons, Peu m'importe combien peu peuvent le voir, Sifflez sur ce qu'il en reste ! Qui j'aimerais voir être la viande pleine d'asticots Présentée dans son linceul, Je pourrais l'écrire (mais Meg ne doit pas le voir), Sifflez sur ce qu'il en reste !
1 dans certaines editions de Burns: "La belle Meg avait la nature d'un enfant"
2 Haydn : "Alors sifflez"
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), "First when Maggy was my care"
This text was added to the website: 2014-11-10
Line count: 16
Word count: 118