Duncan Gray | Duncan Grey vint ici faire sa cour

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by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796)

Translation © by Pierre Mathé

Duncan Gray

(Sung text for setting by L. Beethoven)

See original

Language: Scottish (Scots)

Our translations: FRE

Duncan Gray cam here to woo,
  (Ha, ha, the wooing o't !)
On blythe Yule night when we were fu',
  (Ha, ha, the wooing o't !)
Maggie coost her head fu' high,
Look'd asklent and unco skiegh,
Gart poor Duncan stand abiegh;
  Ha, ha, the wooing o't !

 ... 

Time and Chance are but a tide,
  (Ha, ha, the wooing o't !)
Slighted love is sair to bide,
  (Ha, ha, the wooing o't !)
Shall I, like a fool, quoth he,
For a haughty hizzie die?
She may gae to - France for me!
  Ha, ha, the wooing o't !

How it comes let Doctors tell
  (Ha, ha, the wooing o't !)
Meg grew sick as he grew heal,
  (Ha, ha, the wooing o't !)
Something in her bosom wrings,
For a relief a sigh she brings;
And O ! her een, they spak sic things!
  Ha, ha, the wooing o't !

Duncan was a lad o' grace,
  (Ha, ha, the wooing o't !)
Maggie's was a piteous case,
  (Ha, ha, the wooing o't !)
Duncan could na be her death,
Swelling Pity smoor'd his Wrath;
Now they're crouse and canty baith,
  Ha, ha, the wooing o't !

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1,3-5 of the original text.

Confirmed with The Complete Poetical Works of Robert Burns, Cambridge edition, Boston and New York, Houghton Mifflin Company, 1897, page 272.

Composition:

Ludwig van Beethoven

Text Authorship:

by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "Duncan Grey"

See other settings of this text.

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

CZE Czech (Čeština) (Josef Václav Sládek) , "Dunkan"
FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Duncan Gray", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
GER German (Deutsch) [singable] (Georg Pertz) , "Duncan Gray"

Researcher for this page: Pierre Mathé [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 40
Word count: 238

Duncan Gray

(Sung text translation for setting by L. Beethoven)

See original

Language: French (Français) after the Scottish (Scots)

Duncan Grey vint ici faire sa cour
    (Ha, ha, quelle cour !)
Durant la joyeuse nuit de Noël, quand nous étions soûls,
    (Ha, ha, quelle cour !)
Maggie leva sa tête bien haut,
Regarda de côté et d'un air étonnée
Fit en sorte de tenir éloigné le pauvre Duncan ;
    Ha, ha, quelle cour !

 ... 

Le temps et le hasard ne sont que marées,
    (Ha, ha, quelle cour !)
Un amour blessé est dur à supporter,
    (Ha, ha, quelle cour !)
Devrai-je – dit-il – comme un fou
Mourir pour une coquette arrogante ?
Elle peut bien aller en France pour moi !
    Ha, ha, quelle cour !

Les docteurs disent comment c'est arrivé,
    (Ha, ha, quelle cour !)
Meg devint malade tandis qu'il guérissait,
    (Ha, ha, quelle cour !)
Quelque chose serrait son cœur,
Pour se soulager, elle poussa un soupir ;
Et oh ! Ses yeux disaient de telles choses !
    Ha, ha, quelle cour !

Duncan était un gentil garçon,
    (Ha, ha, quelle cour !)
Maggie était en piteux état,
    (Ha, ha, quelle cour !)
Duncan ne pouvait être cause de sa mort,
Une pitié grandissante terrassa sa colère
Maintenant ils sont tous deux joyeux et gais,
    Ha, ha, quelle cour !

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1,3-5 of the original text.

L. Beethoven a mis en musique les strophes 1, 3-5

Text Authorship:

Translation from Scottish (Scots) to French (Français) copyright © 2014 by Pierre Mathé, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
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Based on:

a text in Scottish (Scots) by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "Duncan Grey"
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This text was added to the website: 2014-07-13
Line count: 40
Word count: 243