by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796)

Language: Scottish (Scots) 
Our translations:  FRE IRI
Ye banks and braes o' bonnie Doon,
  How can ye bloom sae fresh and fair;
How can ye chaunt, ye little birds,
  And I sae weary, fu' o' care!
Thou'lt break my heart, thou warbling bird,
  That wantons thro' the flower thorn: 
Thou minds me o' departed joys,
  Departed -- never to return!

Oft hae I rov'd by bonnie Doon,
  To see the rose and woodbine twine;
And ilka bird sang o' its love,
  And fondly sae did I o' mine.
Wi' lightsome heart I pu'd a rose,
  Fu' sweet upon its thorny tree;
But my fause lover stole the rose,
  And oh, he left the thorn wi' me.

Composition:

Text Authorship:

  • by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "The Banks o' Doon", subtitle: "[Second version]"

See other settings of this text.

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

  • CZE Czech (Čeština) (Josef Václav Sládek) , "Břehy Doonu"
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • IRI Irish (Gaelic) [singable] (Gabriel Rosenstock) , copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this page: John Versmoren

This text was added to the website: 2004-07-11
Line count: 16
Word count: 118