Turn again, thou fair Eliza! Ae kind blink before we part! Rew on thy despairing luver – Canst thou break his faithfu' heart? Turn again, thou fair Eliza! If to luve thy heart denies, For pity hide the cruel sentence Under friendship's kind disguise! Thee, dear maid, ha'e I offended? The offence is luving thee. Can thou wreck his peace for ever, Wha for thine wad gladly die? While the life beats in my bosom, Thou shalt mix in ilka throe. Turn again, thou lovely maiden, Ae sweet smile on me bestow! Not the bee upon the blossom In the pride o' sinny noon, Not the little sporting fairy All beneath the simmer moon, Not the poet, in the moment Fancy lightens in his ee, Kens the pleasure, feels the rapture, That thy presence gi'es to me.
GLOSSARY
Ae = one
Blink = glance
Ilka = every
Sinny = sunny
Kens = knows
Text Authorship:
- by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "Fair Eliza" [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), "Fair Eliza", Hob. XXXIa no. 117, JHW. XXXII/2 no. 117 [sung text checked 1 time]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Wilhelm Christoph Leonhard Gerhard (1780 - 1858) , "Kehre wieder!" ; composed by Carl Friedrich Wilhelm.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Belle Eliza", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani
This text was added to the website: 2013-03-28
Line count: 24
Word count: 137
Kehre wieder, o Elise! Nur noch einen Scheideblick! Stoße nicht mit kalter Strenge Dieses treue Herz zurück! Hat in kalter Brust das deine Nie der Liebe Glut gefühlt: Nur nicht Freundschaft! schenk' Erbarmen Dem die Flamm' im Busen wühlt! Dich beleidiget, Elise? War doch Liebe mein Vergehn! - Kränken ihn, den Tod nicht scheute, Könnt' er dich nur glücklich sehn! Ach! so lang ich Leben atme, Weih' ich meine Seele dir! Kehre wieder, süße Taube, Nur noch einmal lächle mir! Nicht die Biene, die im Kelche Süßer Blume Honig trinkt, Nicht die Elf' im Frühlingstanze, Wenn der Mond am Himmel blinkt, Nicht der Dichter, wenn der Zauber Der Begeist'rung ihn durchdringt, Kennt die übersel'ge Wonne, Die mir deine Nähe bringt!
Confirmed with Robert Burns' Gedichte, deutsch von W. Gerhard, Leipzig, 1840.
Text Authorship:
- by Wilhelm Christoph Leonhard Gerhard (1780 - 1858), "Kehre wieder!" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Scottish (Scots) by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "Fair Eliza"
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Carl Friedrich Wilhelm (1815 - 1873), "Kehre wieder!" [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this page: Johann Winkler
This text was added to the website: 2024-07-31
Line count: 24
Word count: 119