by Joanna Baillie (1762 - 1851)
I've no sheep on the mountain, nor boat...
Language: English
I've no sheep on the mountain, nor boat on the lake, Nor coin in my coffer to keep me awake, Nor corn in my garner, nor fruit on my tree -- Yet the Maid of Llanwellyn smiles sweetly on me. Soft tapping at eve to her window I came, And loud bayed the watch-dog, loud scolded the dame. For shame, silly Lightfoot! what is it to thee, Though the Maid of Llanwellyn smiles sweetly on me? Rich Owen will tell you with eyes full of scorn, Threadbare is my coat and my hosen are torn : Scoff on, my rich Owen, for faint is thy glee When the maid of Llanwellyn smiles sweetly on me. The farmer rides proudly to market and fair, And the clerk at the alehouse still claims the great chair, But of all our proud fellows the proudest I'll be, While the Maid of Llanwellyn smiles sweetly on me. For blythe as the urchin at holyday play, And meek as the matron in mantle of gray, And trim as the lady of noble degree, Is the Maid of Llanwellyn, who smiles upon me.
J. Haydn sets stanzas 1-3
About the headline (FAQ)
View text with all available footnotesStanzas 1-2,4-5 published later in 1840 in Fugitive Verses as "Song", with "Written for a Welch melody" beneath the title.
Text Authorship:
- by Joanna Baillie (1762 - 1851), "The Maid of Llanwellyn" [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 (Franz) Joseph Haydn (1732 - 1809), "Maltraeth", Hob. 31b no. 36 (1804), stanzas 1-3 [ voice, violin, violoncello, and piano ], or "Malthreath" or "Maltreath" [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Charles Henry Purday (1799 - 1885), "The Maid of Llanwellyn" [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Theodore Livingston Raynor (1909 - 1970), "The Maid Of Llanwellyn", op. 307 (1951) [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2010-09-16
Line count: 20
Word count: 185