Five Burns Songs , opus 43

by Amy Marcy Cheney Beach (1867 - 1944)

1. Dearie
 (Sung text)

Language: Scottish (Scots) 
How long and dreary is the night
 When I am frae my Dearie;
I restless lie frae e'en tae morn
 Though I were ne'er sae weary.

 ... 

When I think on the lightsome days
 I spent wi' thee, my Dearie;
And now what lands between us lie,
 How can I be but eerie?
       For oh, &c.

How slow ye move, ye heavy hours;
 As ye were wae and weary
It was na sae ye glinted by,
 When I was wi' my Dearie!
       For oh, &c.

Text Authorship:

  • by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "Song -- How lang and dreary is the night"

See other settings of this text.

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

  • CZE Czech (Čeština) (Josef Václav Sládek) , "Jak dlouhá, smutná je ta noc"
  • FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Comme la nuit est longue et maussade", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Note: the Burns text appears in the White score as if it is a translation of this German text (or vice versa), but although they are both set to the same music, they are unrelated textually.

Glossary:
Eerie = affected with fear or dread
Window'd = widowed
Glinted = passed quickly like a transient gleam

2. Scottish Cradle Song

Language: Scottish (Scots) 
— This text is not currently
in the database but will be added
as soon as we obtain it. —

Text Authorship:

Go to the general single-text view

3. Oh were my love yon lilac fair
 (Sung text)

Language: Scottish (Scots) 
 ... 

O gin my Love were yon red rose
  That grows upon the castle wa',
And I mysel a drap o' dew,
  Into her bonnie breast to fa';
 ... 

O were my Love yon lilac fair,
  Wi' purple blossoms to the spring,
And I a bird to shelter there,
  When wearied on my little wing;
How I wad mourn when it was torn
  By autumn wild and winter rude!
But I wad sing on wanton wing
  When youthfu' May its bloom renew'd.

 ...

Text Authorship:

  • by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "O were my Love yon lilac fair"

See other settings of this text.

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

  • CZE Czech (Čeština) (Josef Václav Sládek) , "Kéž byla bys ten vonný bez"
  • SPA Spanish (Español) (Elisa Rapado) , copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

4. Far awa'
 (Sung text)

Language: English 
Ye whom sorrow never wounded, 
Ye who never shed a tear,
Care-untroubled, joy-surrounded,
Gaudy day to you is dear.

Gentle night do thou befriend me;
Downy sleep, the curtain draw;
Spirits kind, again attend me,
Talk of him that's far awa'!

Text Authorship:

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5. My lassie

Language: Scottish (Scots) 
— This text is not currently
in the database but will be added
as soon as we obtain it. —

Text Authorship:

Go to the general single-text view