by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796)
Translation by Anonymous / Unidentified Author

Muirland Meg
Language: Scottish (Scots) 
Among our young lassies there's Muirland Meg,
She'll beg or she work, & she'll play or she beg,
At thirteen her maidenhead flew to the gate,
And the door o' her cage stands open yet.

And for a sheep-cloot she'll do't, she'll do't,
And for a sheep-cloot she'll do't;
And for a toop-horn she'll do't to the morn,
And merrily turn and do't, and do't.

Her kittle black een they wad thirl you thro'.
Her rose-bud lips cry, kiss me now;
The curls and links o' her bonie black hair,
Wad put you in mind that the lassie has mair.

And for a sheep-cloot she'll do't, she'll do't,
And for a sheep-cloot she'll do't;
And for a toop-horn she'll do't to the morn,
And merrily turn and do't, and do't.

An armfu' o' love is her bosom sae plump,
A span o' delight is her middle sae jimp;
A taper, white leg, and a thumpin thie,
And a fiddle near by, an ye play a wee!

And for a sheep-cloot she'll do't, she'll do't,
And for a sheep-cloot she'll do't;
And for a toop-horn she'll do't to the morn,
And merrily turn and do't, and do't.

Love's her delight, and kissin's her treasure;
She'll stick at nae price, and ye gie her gude measure,
As lang's a sheep-fit, and as girt's a goose-egg,
And that's the measure o' Muirland Meg.

And for a sheep-cloot she'll do't, she'll do't,
And for a sheep-cloot she'll do't;
And for a toop-horn she'll do't to the morn,
And merrily turn and do't, and do't.

Text Authorship:

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

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  • Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Ignaz Brüll.

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2011-08-06
Line count: 32
Word count: 260

Es war' ne Maid und die hiess Meg
Language: German (Deutsch)  after the Scottish (Scots) 
Es war 'ne Maid und die hieß Meg,
ging spinnen übers Moor ins Land;
es war ein Bursch, der folgt' ihr nach,
Duncan Davison genannt.

Das Moor war tief, die Meg, die lief.
leicht zu gewinnen war sie nicht;
kam er zu nah', gleich schlug sie da
ihn mit dem Rocken ins Gesicht.
 
Das Moor entlang das Mädel sprang,
der Bach war klar und grün der Wald;
doch müd' zuletzt das Rädchen setzt'
sie zwischen ihn und sich alsbald.
 
Da schwur er einen heil'gen Eid,
Meg müsst' ein Bräutchen morgen sein;
da nahm ihr Rädchen Meg, und weit
warf sie's in den Bach hinein.
 
Wir bau'n ein Haus, ein klein', klein' Haus,
und leben wie die Täubchen d'rin;
wie schön wird das des Abends sein,
sitz' ich bei meiner Spinnerin.
 
Ein Mann kann trinken ohne Rausch,
kann fechten und bleibt lebend doch;
ein Mann kann küssen eine Maid
und ist nachher willkommen doch.

Text Authorship:

Based on:

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


Researcher for this page: Johann Winkler

This text was added to the website: 2020-09-07
Line count: 24
Word count: 153