Six Songs of various Nationalities

by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827)

1. When my Hero in court appears
 (Sung text)

Language: English 
When my Hero in court appears,
And stands arraign'd for his life;
Then think of poor Polly's tears;
For ah! Poor Polly's his wife.
Like the sailor he holds up his hand,
Distrest on the dashing wave.
To die a dry death at land
Is a bad a wat'ry grave:
And alas, poor Polly!
Alack and a-well a day!
Before I was in love,
Oh, ev'ry month was May.

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Researcher for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani

2. Non, non, Colette n'est point trompeuse
 (Sung text)

Language: French (Français) 
Non, non, Colette n'est point trompeuse,
Elle m'a promis sa foi.
Peut -- elle être l'amoureuse
D'un autre berger que moi?

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

  • ENG English (Zongshu Wu) , copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani

3. Mark yonder pomp of costly fashion
 (Sung text)

Language: English 
Mark yonder pomp of costly fashion,
Round the wealthy titled bride:
But when compar'd with real passion,
Poor is all that princely pride.
What are the showy treasures?
What are the noisy pleasures?
The gay, gaudy glare of vanity and art:
The polish'd jekel's blaze,
May draw the wond'ring gaze,
And courtly grandeur bright
The fancy may delight,
But never, never can come near the heart.

But, did you see my dearest Phillis
In simplicity's array,
Lovely as yon sweet opening flowers is,
Shrinking from the gaze of day:
O then the heart alarming,
And all resistless charming,
In love's delightful fetters
She chains the willing soul!
Ambition would disown
The world's imperial crown,
Ev'n av'rice would deny
His worshipp'd deity,
And feel thro'every vein love's raptures roll.

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Researcher for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani

4. Bonnie wee thing
 (Sung text)

Language: English 
Bonnie wee thing, cannie wee thing,
Lovely wee thing, was thou mine!
I wad wear thee in my bosom,
Least my jewel I should tine.

Wishfully I look and languish
In that bonnie face of thine;
And my heart it stounds wi' anguish
Lest my wee thing be na mine!

Wit and grace and love and beauty,
In ae constellation shine!
To adore thee is my duty,
Goddess o' this soul o' mine!

Bonnie wee thing, etc.

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Researcher for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani

5. From thee, Eliza, I must go
 (Sung text)

Language: Scottish (Scots) 
From thee, Eliza, I must go,
  And from my native shore;
The cruel fates between us throw
  A boundless ocean's roar:
But boundless oceans, roaring wide,
  Between my love and me,
They never, never can divide
  My heart and soul from thee.
 
Farewell, farewell, Eliza dear,
  The maid that I adore!
A boding voice is in mine ear,
  We part to meet no more!
But the latest throb that leaves my heart,
  While Death stands victor by, -- 
That throb, Eliza, is thy part,
  And thine that latest sigh!

Text Authorship:

  • by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), title 1: "Song : From thee Eliza", title 2: "Song -- Farewell to Eliza ", written 1786

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

  • CZE Czech (Čeština) (Josef Václav Sládek) , "S bohem, Elize"
  • FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Chanson : De toi Eliza", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • HEB Hebrew (עברית) (Hamutal Atariah) , copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Da te, Elisa", copyright © 2005, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Tune -- "Gilderoy."
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

6.
 (Sung text)

— Tacet —

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Note provided by Laura Prichard:
Edinburgh-based publisher George Thomson (1757-1851) commissioned Beethoven to compose 179 arrangements of Scottish, Irish, Welsh and continental folk songs. He first made contact with Beethoven in 1803 and first sent a collection of 21 un-texted traditional melodies in 1806. Beethoven’s first reply (dated 1 November 1806) mentions that ‘Mr. Haydn was given a British pound for each air’. Beethoven finally agreed to collaborate in 1809. Sending these consignments back and forth during the Napoleonic wars required three copies by different routes (sometimes even via Malta and Paris); the English Channel was the most difficult link in the chain, as the only way of sending consignments at the time was to enlist the aid of smugglers.

For many songs Beethoven was not sent the intended text, which often was not yet written, as Thomson commissioned contemporary Scottish poets, principally Robert Burns, to write new verses to the original airs. Beethoven repeatedly demanded the texts from Thomson, however, arguing that he could not compose proper arrangements without them. As Barry Cooper points out in his book Beethoven’s Folksong Settings, Beethoven described his settings as compositions, which suggests that he took the commissions seriously. Beethoven’s arrangements include violin and cello parts (designed to be optional), which are independent of the piano.

Total word count: 382