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by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796)

Afton Water
 (Sung text for setting by B. Britten)
 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.

 ... 

Thy crystal stream, Afton, how lovely it glides,
And winds by the cot where my Mary resides;
How wanton thy waters her snowy feet lave,
As, gathering sweet flowerets, she stems thy clear wave.

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 (Edward) Benjamin Britten (1913 - 1976), "Afton Water", op. 92 no. 5 (1975), stanzas 1-2,5-6, from A Birthday Hansel, no. 5

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

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