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by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796)
Translation by (Johann) Philipp Kaufmann (1802 - 1846)

The Highland Lassie, O
Language: Scottish (Scots) 
Nae gentle dames, tho' ne'er sae fair,
Shall ever be my muse's care;
Their titles a' are empty show;
Gie me my Highland Lassie, O.
  Within the glen sae bushy, O;
  Aboon the plain sae rushy, O,
  I set me down wi' right gude will,
  To sing my Highland Lassie, O.

O were yon hills and valleys mine,
Yon palace and yon gardens fine!
The world then the love should know
I bear my Highland Lassie, O.
  Within the glen sae bushy, O;
  Aboon the plain sae rushy, O,
  I set me down wi' right gude will,
  To sing my Highland Lassie, O.

But fickle fortune frowns on me,
And I maun cross the raging sea;
But while my crimson current flow.
I love my Highland Lassie, O.
  Within the glen sae bushy, O;
  Aboon the plain sae rushy, O,
  I set me down wi' right gude will,
  To sing my Highland Lassie, O.

Altho' thro' foreign climes I range,
I know her heart will never change,
For her bosum burns with honor's glow,
My faithful Highland Lassie, O.
  Within the glen sae bushy, O;
  Aboon the plain sae rushy, O,
  I set me down wi' right gude will,
  To sing my Highland Lassie, O.

For her I'll dare the billow's roar;
For her I'll trace a distant shore;
That Indian wealth may lustre throw
Around my Highland Lassie, O.
  Within the glen sae bushy, O;
  Aboon the plain sae rushy, O,
  I set me down wi' right gude will,
  To sing my Highland Lassie, O.

She has my heart, she has my hand,
By secret truth and honor's band!
Till the mortal stroke shall lay me low,
I'm thine, my Highland Lassie, O.
  Within the glen sae bushy, O;
  Aboon the plain sae rushy, O,
  I set me down wi' right gude will,
  To sing my Highland Lassie, O.

Farewell the glen sae bushy, O!
Farewell the plain sae rushy, O!
To other lands I now must go
To sing my Highland Lassie, O!

Text Authorship:

  • by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "The Highland Lassie, O" [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):

    [ None yet in the database ]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

  • Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Wilhelm Christoph Leonhard Gerhard (1780 - 1858) , "Das Hochlandmädchen" [an adaptation] ; composed by Robert Schumann.
      • Go to the text.
  • Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by (Johann) Philipp Kaufmann (1802 - 1846) , "Nein, edle Damen, noch so schön", appears in Gedichte von Robert Burns, first published 1839 ; composed by Carl Heinrich Döring, Otto Dresel, Robert Emmerich, Robert Franz.
      • Go to the text.

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

  • CZE Czech (Čeština) (Josef Václav Sládek) , "Děvče z hor"


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2004-06-29
Line count: 52
Word count: 335

Nein, edle Damen, noch so schön
Language: German (Deutsch)  after the Scottish (Scots) 
Nein, edle Damen, noch so schön,
Nicht eurem Preis mein Lied ertön':
Geburt und Titel eitel sind;
Ich lobe mir mein Hochland-Kind.
  Dort in der Büsche Schatten, o!
  Dort auf den grünen Matten, o!
  Mein Herz mir glüht, ich sing mein Lied,
  Mein Lied von meinem Hochland-Kind.

O wären Berg und Thäler mein,
Das Schloß dort und der Gartenhain!
Die Well' sollt sehn, wie treulich minnt
Mein Herz mein herzig Hochland-Kind.
  Dort in der Büsche Schatten, o!
  Dort auf den grünen Matten, o!
  Mein Herz mir glüht, ich sing mein Lied,
  Mein Lied von meinem Hochland-Kind.

Doch reißt des Schicksal's grimme Wuth
Mein Schiff auch durch empörte Fluth;
So lang mein Purpurstrom noch rinnt,
Lieb ich mein herzig Hochland-Kind.
  Dort in der Büsche Schatten, o!
  Dort auf den grünen Matten, o!
  Mein Herz mir glüht, ich sing mein Lied,
  Mein Lied von meinem Hochland-Kind.

Durchirr' ich Länder noch so fern,
Stets bleibt dein Herz mein treuer Stern.
Wie meines glüht, dir treu gesinnt,
Mein treues liebes Hochland-Kind.
  Dort in der Büsche Schatten, o!
  Dort auf den grünen Matten, o!
  Mein Herz mir glüht, ich sing mein Lied,
  Mein Lied von meinem Hochland-Kind.

Für sie ist mir kein Weg zu weit,
Für sie mein Herz den Sturm nicht scheut,
Des Indiens Reichthum einst mir wind'
Den Kranz für mein lieb Hochland-Kind.
  Dort in der Büsche Schatten, o!
  Dort auf den grünen Matten, o!
  Mein Herz mir glüht, ich sing mein Lied,
  Mein Lied von meinem Hochland-Kind.

Sie hat mein Herz, hat meine Hand,
An sie knüpft mich ein heilig Band!
Und naht der Tod, er treu mich find'
Dir, meinem herz'gen Hochland-Kind!
  Dort in der Büsche Schatten, o!
  Dort auf den grünen Matten, o!
  Mein Herz mir glüht, ich sing mein Lied, 
  Mein Lied von meinem Hochland-Kind.

Available sung texts:   ← What is this?

•   O. Dresel •   R. Franz 

R. Franz sets stanzas 4, 6
O. Dresel sets stanzas 4, 6

About the headline (FAQ)

View text with all available footnotes

Text Authorship:

  • by (Johann) Philipp Kaufmann (1802 - 1846), "Nein, edle Damen, noch so schön", appears in Gedichte von Robert Burns, first published 1839 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Based on:

  • a text in Scottish (Scots) by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "The Highland Lassie, O"
    • Go to the text page.

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

  • by Carl Heinrich Döring (1834 - 1916), "Mein Hochland Kind", op. 61 (Vier Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 4, published 1886 [ voice and piano ], Dresden, Hoffarth [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Otto Dresel (1826 - 1890), "Durchirr' ich Länder noch so fern", published 1848, stanzas 4,6, note: the "o!"s are omitted from the chorus [sung text checked 1 time]
  • by Robert Emmerich (1836 - 1891), "Mein Hochlandskind", op. 4 (5 Lieder) no. 5, published 1857 [ mezzo-soprano or baritone and piano ], Offenbach, André [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Robert Franz (1815 - 1892), "Mein Hochland-Kind", op. 4 (Zwölf Gesänge) no. 1, published 1845, stanzas 4,6 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, Kistner [sung text checked 1 time]

Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2008-04-06
Line count: 48
Word count: 296

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This website began in 1995 as a personal project by Emily Ezust, who has been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your help is greatly appreciated!
–Emily Ezust, Founder

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