Ye banks and braes and streams around The castle o' Montgomery, Green be your woods, and falr your flowers, Your waters never drumlie! There simmer first unfauld her robes, And there the langest tarry; For there I took the last fareweel O' my sweet Highland Mary. How sweetly bloom'd the gay green birk, How rich the hawthorn's blossom, As underneath their fragrant shade I clasp'd her to my bosom! The golden hours on angel wings Flew o'er me and my dearie; For dear to me as light and life Was my sweet Highland Mary. Wi' mony a vow and lock'd embrace Our parting was fu' tender; And pledging aft to meet again, We tore oursels asunder; But, oh I fell Death's untimely frost, That nipt my flower sae early! Now green's the sod, and cauld's the clay! That wraps my Highland Mary! O pale, pale now, those rosy lips I aft hae kiss'd sae fondly! And closed for ay the sparkling glance That dwelt on me sae kindly; And mouldering now in silent dust That heart that lo'ed me dearly! But still within my bosom's core Shall live my Highland Mary.
Text Authorship:
- by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796) [author's text not yet checked 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 David Arditti (b. 1964), "Highland Mary", op. 1 no. 7, first performed 1994, from Burns Songs, no. 7 [sung text checked 1 time]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Ernst Paul Flügel.
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Wilhelm Sturm.
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CZE Czech (Čeština) (Josef Václav Sládek) , "Marie z hor"
- POL Polish (Polski) (Jan Kasprowicz) , "Maryja z gór", Warsaw, first published 1907
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 32
Word count: 191
O brzegi rzek, o szczyty gór Wzdłuż zamku Montgomery! Świeży wasz las, piękny wasz kwiat, Blask waszych głębin szczery. Tu lata cud najpierwej lśni I tu najdłużej żyje, Bom żegnał tu ostatni raz Mą słodką z gór Maryję, O jak tu drżał liść białych brzóz, Jak kwitła tarń zielona, Gdy w woniach tych, ukryty w cień, Tuliłem ją do łona. Mknął złoty czas i jej i mnie, Gdym jasną oplótł szyję, Boć ponad jaśń, nad życia czar Wolałem z gór Maryję. Śród przysiąg, łez, śród splotu warg Czuleśmy się żegnali, Wierząc, iż znów spotkamy się Na życia błogiej fali. Lecz śmierci mróz przedwcześnie spadł I dziś na wieki kryje Ten chłodny grób, ta świeża ruń, Mą słodką z gór Maryję. Dziś zwiądł już kwiat różanych ust, Skąd żar me usta piły, I promień zgasł ognistych ócz, Źródła rozkosznej siły. Już serce w proch rozpada się, Lecz w sercu mojem żyje Ten drogi skarb, bom kochał ją, Tę moją z gór Maryję.
Confirmed with Poeci angielscy, translated by Jan Kasprowicz, Księgarnia H. Antenberga, Warszawa 1907, page 112.
Text Authorship:
- by Jan Kasprowicz (1860 - 1926), "Maryja z gór", Warsaw, first published 1907 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Scottish (Scots) by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796)
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 ]
Researcher for this page: Andrew Schneider [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2019-08-16
Line count: 32
Word count: 161