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

O how can I be blythe and glad
Language: Scottish (Scots) 
Our translations:  FRE
O how can I be blythe and glad,
    Or how can I gang brisk and braw,
When the bonie lad that I lo'e best
    Is o'er the hills and far awa ?

It's no the frosty winter wind,
    It's no the driving drift and snaw;
But aye the tear comes in my e'e,
    To think on him that's far awa.

[ ... ]

O, weary Winter soon will pass,
    And Spring will cleed the birken shaw;
And my young babie will be born,
    And he'll be hame that's far awa !

About the headline (FAQ)

Confirmed with The Complete Poetical Works of Robert Burns, Cambridge edition, Boston and New York, Houghton Mifflin Company, 1897, page 234.


Text Authorship:

  • by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "The Bonie Lad That's Far Awa", written 1788

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

  • CZE Czech (Čeština) (Josef Václav Sládek) , "Ten hodný hoch"
  • FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Le joli garçon qui est au loin", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • GER German (Deutsch) (Anonymous/Unidentified Artist) , "O wie kann ich wohl fröhlich sein"


Researcher for this page: Pierre Mathé [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2004-08-03
Line count: 20
Word count: 143

Wie kann ich froh und lustig sein?
 (Sung text for setting by F. Mendelssohn)
 See original
Language: German (Deutsch)  after the Scottish (Scots) 
Our translations:  CAT DUT ENG FRE HEB
Wie kann ich froh und lustig seyn,
  Wie kann ich geh'n mit Band und Straus?
Wenn der herz'ge Junge, der mir so lieb,
  Ist über die Berge weit hinaus?

'S ist nicht der frost'ge Winterwind,
  'S ist nicht der Schnee und Sturm und Graus,
Doch immer kommen mir Thränen in's Aug',
  Denk ich an ihn, der weit hinaus.

 ... 

Der lange Winter ist vorbei,
  Der Frühling putzt die Birken aus,
Es grünt und blüht und lacht der Mai,
  Dann kehrt er heim, der weit hinaus.

Note: contemporary German would change the following spellings: "seyn" -> "sein", "Straus" -> "Strauss", "Thränen" -> "Tränen", "Thür" -> "Tür", etc.

Composition:

    Set to music by Felix Mendelssohn (1809 - 1847), "Wie kann ich froh und lustig sein?", stanzas 1-2,5 [ vocal duet for 2 sopranos with piano ]

Text Authorship:

Based on:

See other settings of this text.

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Com puc estar contenta i alegre?", copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Hoe kan ik blij en vrolijk zijn?", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Tinelot Wittermans) , "How can I be happy and gay?", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Comment puis-je être heureuse et gaie ?", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • HEB Hebrew (עברית) [singable] (Ada Lewinsky) , "איך יהיה ליבי רונן", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Tinelot Wittermans , Johann Winkler

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 141