by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796)
Flow gently, sweet Afton See original
Language: English
Our translations: FRE
Flow gently, sweet Afton, among thy green braes,
Flow gently, I'll sing thee a song in thy praise;
My Mary's asleep by thy murmuring stream,
Flow gently, sweet Afton, disturb not her dream.
Thou stock dove whose echo resounds thro' the glen,
Ye wild whistling blackbirds in yon thorny den,
Thou green-crested lapwing, thy screaming forbear,
I charge you disturb not my slumbering Fair.
How lofty, sweet Afton, thy neighbouring hills,
Far marked with the courses of sweet, winding rills;
There daily I wander as noon rises high,
My flocks and my Mary's sweet cot in my eye.
...
Flow gently, sweet Afton, among thy green braes,
Flow gently, sweet River, the theme of my lays;
My Mary's asleep by thy murmuring stream,
Flow gently, sweet Afton, disturb not her dream.
Composition:
- Set to music by Helen Hopekirk (1856 - 1945), "Flow gently, sweet Afton", subtitle: "Afton water", published 1905, copyright © 1905, stanzas 1-3,6 [ voice and piano ], Oliver Ditson Company
Text Authorship:
- by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), no title
See other settings of this text.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CZE Czech (Čeština) (Josef Václav Sládek) , "Na Aftonu"
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- HUN Hungarian (Magyar) (József Lévay) , "Folyj csendesen, Afton"
Research team for this page: Jean Branch , Garrett Medlock [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 197