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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
Oh, je suis venue au bas pays. Oh malheur à moi ! Sans un sou en bourse Pour m'acheter un repas. Ce n'était pas ainsi dans les collines du haut, Oh malheur à moi ! Aucune femme de tout le pays N'était aussi heureuse que moi. Car alors, j'avais nombreuses vaches, Oh malheur à moi ! Qui broutaient les hautes herbes, Et me donnaient leur lait. Et là‑bas j'avais de nombreux moutons, Oh malheur à moi ! Qui gambadaient sur les belles collines, Et me donnaient leur lait. J'étais la plus heureuse du clan, Aie, aie, que cela me manque ; Car Donald était le plus brave des hommes, Et Donald était à moi. Jusqu'à ce que vint Charlie Stewart, Semble‑t‑il pour nous délivrer ; Alors il fallut le bras de mon Donald, Pour l'Écosse et pour moi. Je dois dire leur triste destin, Le bien le céda au mal ; Mon Donald et son Pays tombèrent Au champ de Culloden. Oh malheur à moi ! Ô Donald, Ô Oh malheur à moi !, Oh malheur à moi ! Aucune femme au monde N'est aussi misérable que moi.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from Scottish (Scots) to French (Français) copyright © 2008 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), "The Highland Widow's Lament"
This text was added to the website: 2008-03-17
Line count: 32
Word count: 179