by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796)
Wha is that at my bower‑door?"
Language: Scottish (Scots)
Our translations: HUN
"Wha is that at my bower-door?" "O wha is it but Findlay!" "Then gae your gate, ye'se nae be here:" "Indeed maun I," quo' Findlay; "What mak' ye, sae like a thief?" "O come and see," quo' Findlay; "Before the morn ye'll work mischief:" "Indeed will I," quo' Findlay. "Gif I rise and let you in"- "Let me in," quo' Findlay; "Ye'll keep me waukin wi' your din;" "Indeed will I," quo' Findlay; "In my bower if ye should stay"- "Let me stay," quo' Findlay; "I fear ye'll bide till break o' day;" "Indeed will I," quo' Findlay. "Here this night if ye remain"- "I'll remain," quo' Findlay; "I dread ye'll [learn]1 the gate again;" "Indeed will I," quo' Findlay. "What may pass within this bower"- "Let it pass," quo' Findlay; "Ye maun conceal till your last hour:" "Indeed will I," quo' Findlay.
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)1 Scott: "ken"
Glossary
maun = must
bide = remain
waukin = awake
din = noise
ken = know
Text Authorship:
- by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "Indeed will I, quo' Findlay", first published 1783 [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 Francis George Scott (1880 - 1958), "Wha is that at my bower-door?", published 1939 [ low voice and piano ], from Scottish Lyrics, Book 5, no. 6, Bayley & Ferguson; confirmed with Songs of Francis George Scott, selected and edited by Neil Mackay, Roberton Publications, Aylesbury 1980, page 96. [sung text checked 1 time]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Ferdinand Freiligrath (1810 - 1876) ; composed by Carl Loewe, Eusebius Mandyczewski.
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Wilhelm Christoph Leonhard Gerhard (1780 - 1858) , "Der kecke Finlay" ; composed by Robert Schumann.
- Also set in Russian (Русский), a translation by Samuil Yakovlevich Marschak (1887 - 1964) ; composed by Georgiy Vasil'yevich Sviridov.
- Also set in Swedish (Svenska), a translation by Gustaf Fröding (1860 - 1911) ; composed by Emil Sjögren.
- Also set in Swiss German (Schwizerdütsch), a translation by August Corrodi (1826 - 1885) ; composed by Friedrich Niggli.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CZE Czech (Čeština) (Josef Václav Sládek) , "Kdo do komůrky mé by rád?"
- HUN Hungarian (Magyar) (Tamás Rédey) , "Ki vagy te ott a kert alatt?", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Iain Sneddon [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2003-11-20
Line count: 24
Word count: 143