Oh I am come to the low Countrie, Ochon, Ochon, Ochrie! Without a penny in my purse. To buy a meal to me. It was na sae in the Highland hills, Ochon, Ochon, Ochrie! Nae woman in the Country wide Sae happy was as me. For then I had a score o' kye Ochon, Ochon, Ochrie! Feeding on you nill sae high, And giving milk to me. And there I had three score o' yowes, Ochon, Ochon, Ochrie! Skipping on ou bonie knowes, And casting woo to me. I was the happiest of a' the Clan, Sair, sair may I repine; For Donald was the brawest man, And Donald he was mine. Till Charlie Stewart cam at last, Sae far to set us free; My Donald's arm was wanted then, For Scotland and for me. Their waefu' fate what need I tell, Right to wrang did yield; My Donald and his Country fell Upon Culloden field. Ochon! O Donald, oh! Ochon, Ochon, Ochrie! Nae woman in the warld wide, Sae wretched now as me.
Authorship:
- by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "The Highland Widow's Lament" [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) , "Die Hochländer-Wittwe" CAT DUT ENG FRE FRE ; composed by Gustav Dullo, Robert Schumann.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Lamentation de la veuve du haut pays", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2003-11-19
Line count: 32
Word count: 174
Ich bin gekommen ins Niederland, O weh! o weh! o weh! So ausgeplündert haben sie mich, Daß ich vor Hunger vergeh. So war's in meinem Hochland nicht; O weh! o weh! o weh! Ein hochbeglückter Weib, als ich, War nicht auf Thal und Höh! Denn damals hatt' ich zwanzig Küh'; O weh! o weh! o weh! Die gaben Milch und Butter mir, Und weideten im Klee. Und sechzig Schafe hatt' ich dort; O weh! o weh! o weh! Die wärmten mich mit weichem Vließ Bei Frost und Winterschnee. Es konnte Kein' im ganzen Clan Sich größern Glückes freun; Denn Donald war der schönste Mann, Und Donald, der war mein! So blieb's, bis Charlie Stuart kam, Alt-Schottland zu befrein; Da mußte Donald seinen Arm Ihm und dem Lande leihn. Was sie befiel, wer weiß es nicht? Dem Unrecht wich das Recht, Und auf Culloden's blut'gem Feld Erlagen Herr und Knecht. -- O! Daß ich kam ins Niederland! O weh! o weh! o weh! Nun giebt's kein unglückselger Weib Vom Hochland bis zur See!
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with Robert Burns’ Gedichte deutsch von W. Gerhard, Leipzig: Verlag von Joh. Ambr. Barth, 1840, page 320-321
Authorship:
- by Wilhelm Christoph Leonhard Gerhard (1780 - 1858), "Die Hochländer-Wittwe" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Scottish (Scots) by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "The Highland Widow's Lament"
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Gustav Dullo (1832 - 1907), "Des Hochländers Wittwe", op. 8 (Drei Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 1, published 1874 [ voice and piano ], Königberg [sic], Jakubowski [sung text not yet checked]
- by Robert Schumann (1810 - 1856), "Die Hochländer-Witwe", op. 25 no. 10 (1840), published 1840 [ voice and piano ], from Myrten, no. 10, Leipzig, Kistner [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Marta Garcia Cadena) , "La vídua de la terra alta", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "De weduwe uit de Hooglanden", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "The highlander’s widow", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "La veuve du haut pays", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Pilar Lirio , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2003-11-19
Line count: 32
Word count: 172