by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796)
Translation by Christian Preezmann (1822 - 1893), as Caralis
Of a' the airts the wind can blaw
Language: Scottish (Scots)
Of a' the airts the wind can blaw, I dearly like the west, For there the bonnie Lassie lives, The Lassie I lo'e best: There's wild-woods grow, and rivers row, And mony a hill between; But day and night my fancy's flight Is ever wi' my Jean. I see her in the dewy flowers, I see her sweet and fair; I hear her in the tunefu' birds, I hear her charm the air: There's not a bonnie flower that springs By fountain, shaw, or green; There's not a bonnie bird that sings, But minds me o' my Jean.
About the headline (FAQ)
Tune: Miss Admiral Gordon's StrathspeyText Authorship:
- by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), no title, written 1788 [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 David Arditti (b. 1964), "I Love my Jean", op. 1 no. 4, first performed 1994, from Burns Songs, no. 4 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by (Henry) Walford Davies, Sir (1869 - 1941), "Of a' the airts", op. 10 no. 1, published 1900 [ voice and piano ], from Two Love Songs, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by (Franz) Joseph Haydn (1732 - 1809), "The Poet's ain Jean", Hob. XXXIa:230, JHW. XXXII/3 no. 219 [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Joseph Holbrooke (1878 - 1958), "My Jean", op. 54 no. 3, published 1910 [ voice and piano ], from Dramatic Songs, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Mervyn, Lord Horder, the Second Baron of Ashford (1910 - 1998), "My Jean" [ voice and piano ], from Five Burns Songs, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Francis George Scott (1880 - 1958), "Of a' the airts the wind can blaw", published 1936 [ baritone and piano ], from Scottish Lyrics, Book 4, no. 2, Bayley & Ferguson [sung text not yet checked]
- by Arthur Somervell, Sir (1863 - 1937), "Of a' the airts", 1885, published 1886 [ voice and piano ], from Six Songs by Robert Burns, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Maude Valérie White (1855 - 1937), "The lassie I love best", published 1876 [ voice and piano ], London: Duncan Davison [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in Danish (Dansk), a translation by Caspara Preezmann (1792 - 1876) , "Længsel", appears in Digte og Sange ved Caralis, first published 1868 ; composed by Agathe Ursula Backer-Grøndahl.
- Also set in French (Français), a translation by Henri-François-Louis-Auguste Potez (1863 - c1946) ; composed by André Gédalge.
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by (Johann) Philipp Kaufmann (1802 - 1846) , no title, appears in Gedichte von Robert Burns [an adaptation] ; composed by Reinhold Ludwig Herman, Hans Michael Schletterer.
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Wilhelm Christoph Leonhard Gerhard (1780 - 1858) , "Meine Jean" ; composed by Karl Anton Florian Eckert, Moritz Hauptmann.
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Johann Peter Cornelius D'Alquen.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CZE Czech (Čeština) (Josef Václav Sládek) , "Všech úhlů světa"
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 98
Længsel
Language: Danish (Dansk) after the Scottish (Scots)
I hvor jeg end
Slaaer Øiet hen.
Det søger helst mod Vest:
Der er det jo
Den Glut mon boe,
Jeg lider allerbedst.
Bag Hybenhæk
Den vilde Bæk
Slaaer der saamangen Bugt,
Men Dag og Nat
Ikkun min Skat
Omsnoer min Længsels Flugt.
I Vindens Suk,
I Blomstens Dug
Hun for min Tanke staaer,
I Fuglens Sang
Bag Buskens Hang
Mig hendes Stemme naaer.
Hver Dal saa grøn,
Hvor taus iløn
Skovbækken lister sig,
Hver Sky i Qveld,
Hvert Kildevæld
En Hilsen bringer mig.
Blandt Høi og Dal,
I Skovens Sal,
Bruus, milde Zephyr, frem!
Blandt Foraarsløv,
Med Blomsterstøv
Bring Bien til sit Hjem!
Og bring mig sød
Og hvid og rød
Herhid igjen min Brud!
Mod hendes Smiil
Er mat hver Piil,
Som Skjæbnen sender ud.
Hvad Suk og Eed
Vi vexled, veed
Kun Himlens Stjernehær;
Vi skiltes ad —
Ak! mon vi glad
Skal atter mødes meer?
Den høie Magt,
Som saae vor Pagt,
Som Hjertets Løndom veed,
Kan vidne kun,
At ene hun
Har al min Kjærlighed.
Confirmed with Digte og Sange ved Caralis, Chr. Steen & Søns Forlag, Kbh., 2. opl., 1868, pp. 73–75.
Text Authorship:
- by Christian Preezmann (1822 - 1893), as Caralis, "Længsel", appears in Digte og Sange ved Caralis, first published 1868 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Scottish (Scots) by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), no title, written 1788
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Agathe Ursula Backer-Grøndahl (1847 - 1907), "Længsel", op. 2 (Fem Sange) no. 4 (1870), published 1873 [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2009-06-21
Line count: 48
Word count: 171