Die Hochländer-Wittwe | Ich bin gekommen ins Niederland

by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796)

Translation by Wilhelm Christoph Leonhard Gerhard (1780 - 1858)

The Highland Widow's Lament

Language: Scottish (Scots)

Our translations: FRE

Oh I am come to the low Countrie, 
Ochon, Ochon, Ochrie!
Without a penny in my purse. 
To buy a meal to me. 

It was na sae in the Highland hills, 
Ochon, Ochon, Ochrie!
Nae woman in the Country wide 
Sae happy was as me. 

For then I had a score o' kye 
Ochon, Ochon, Ochrie!
Feeding on you nill sae high, 
And giving milk to me. 

And there I had three score o' yowes, 
Ochon, Ochon, Ochrie!
Skipping on ou bonie knowes, 
And casting woo to me. 

I was the happiest of a' the Clan, 
Sair, sair may I repine;
For Donald was the brawest man, 
And Donald he was mine. 

Till Charlie Stewart cam at last, 
Sae far to set us free;
My Donald's arm was wanted then, 
For Scotland and for me. 

Their waefu' fate what need I tell, 
Right to wrang did yield;
My Donald and his Country fell 
Upon Culloden field. 

Ochon! O Donald, oh! 
Ochon, Ochon, Ochrie!
Nae woman in the warld wide, 
Sae wretched now as me.

Text Authorship:

by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "The Highland Widow's Lament" [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 German (Deutsch), a translation by Wilhelm Christoph Leonhard Gerhard (1780 - 1858) , "Die Hochländer-Wittwe" CAT DUT ENG FRE FRE ; composed by Gustav Dullo, Robert Schumann.

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

FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Lamentation de la veuve du haut pays", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2003-11-19
Line count: 32
Word count: 174

Ich bin gekommen ins Niederland

Language: German (Deutsch) after the Scottish (Scots)

Our translations: CAT DUT ENG FRE

   Ich bin gekommen ins Niederland,
O weh! o weh! o weh!
So ausgeplündert haben sie mich,
Daß ich vor Hunger vergeh.
 
   So war's in meinem Hochland nicht;
O weh! o weh! o weh!
Ein hochbeglückter Weib, als ich,
War nicht auf Thal und Höh!
 
   Denn damals hatt' ich zwanzig Küh';
O weh! o weh! o weh!
Die gaben Milch und Butter mir,
Und weideten im Klee.
 
   Und sechzig Schafe hatt' ich dort;
O weh! o weh! o weh!
Die wärmten mich mit weichem Vließ
Bei Frost und Winterschnee.
 
   Es konnte Kein' im ganzen Clan
Sich größern Glückes freun;
Denn Donald war der schönste Mann,
Und Donald, der war mein!
 
   So blieb's, bis Charlie Stuart kam,
Alt-Schottland zu befrein;
Da mußte Donald seinen Arm
Ihm und dem Lande leihn.
 
   Was sie befiel, wer weiß es nicht?
Dem Unrecht wich das Recht,
Und auf Culloden's blut'gem Feld
Erlagen Herr und Knecht. --
 
   O! Daß ich kam ins Niederland!
O weh! o weh! o weh!
Nun giebt's kein unglückselger Weib
Vom Hochland bis zur See!

About the headline (FAQ)

Confirmed with Robert Burns’ Gedichte deutsch von W. Gerhard, Leipzig: Verlag von Joh. Ambr. Barth, 1840, page 320-321

Text Authorship:

by Wilhelm Christoph Leonhard Gerhard (1780 - 1858), "Die Hochländer-Wittwe" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Based on:

a text in Scottish (Scots) by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "The Highland Widow's Lament"
- Go to the text page.

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

by Gustav Dullo (1832 - 1907), "Des Hochländers Wittwe", op. 8 (Drei Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 1, published 1874 [ voice and piano ], Königberg [sic], Jakubowski [sung text not yet checked]
by Robert Schumann (1810 - 1856), "Die Hochländer-Witwe", op. 25 no. 10 (1840), published 1840 [ voice and piano ], from Myrten, no. 10, Leipzig, Kistner [sung text checked 1 time]

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

Research team for this page: Pilar Lirio , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2003-11-19
Line count: 32
Word count: 172