by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796)
Translation by Josef Václav Sládek (1845 - 1912)
By Oughtertyre grows the aik
Language: Scottish (Scots)
By Oughtertyre grows the aik,
On Yarrow banks the birken shaw;
But Phemie was a bonier lass
Than braes o' Yarrow ever saw.
Blythe, blythe and merry was she,
Blythe was she but and ben;
Blythe by the banks of Earn,
And blythe in Glenturit glen.
Her looks were like a flow'r in May,
Her smile was like a simmer morn:
She tripped by the banks o' Earn,
As light's a bird upon a thorn.
Blythe, blythe, &c.
Her bonie face it was as meek
As ony lamb upon a lea;
The evening sun was ne'er sae sweet,
As was the blink o' Phemie's e'e.
Blythe, blythe, &c.
The Highland hills I've wander'd wide,
And o'er the Lawlands I hae been;
But Phemie was the blythest lass
That ever trod the dewy green.
Blythe, blythe, &c.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "Song -- Blythe was she" [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 Cyril Meir Scott (1879 - 1970), "Blythe and merry was she", published 1922 [ voice and piano ], London: Elkin [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CZE Czech (Čeština) (Josef Václav Sládek) , "Tak sličná byla"
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2010-05-02
Line count: 23
Word count: 136
Tak sličná byla
Language: Czech (Čeština)  after the Scottish (Scots)
Tak sličná byla, veselá
a smála se tak dětinně,
tak sličná byla na Earnu
i v Glenturitské dolině.
U Ochtertyru roste dub
a na Yarrow jest osyk háj,
leč Phemie byla nejhezčí,
co Yarrowský kdy spatřil kraj.
Byl její vzhled jak v máji květ
a úsměv jako podletí,
a chodila tak lehounce,
jak ptáče skáče po sněti.
A na pažitu beruška
tak není krotká, nevinná,
a oči měla, v západu
jak porosená květina.
Já v horách bloudil daleko
a v kraji byl jsem poutníkem,
však nikde hezčí dívčinu
jít neviděl jsem trávníkem.
Tak sličná byla, veselá
a smála se tak dětinně,
tak sličná byla na Earnu
i v Glenturitské dolině.
Confirmed with BURNS, Robert. Výbor z písní a ballad, translated by Josef Václav Sládek, Praha: J. Otto, 1892.
Text Authorship:
- by Josef Václav Sládek (1845 - 1912), "Tak sličná byla" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Scottish (Scots) by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "Song -- Blythe was she"
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: 2019-08-12
Line count: 24
Word count: 111