by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796)
Yon wild mossy mountains See base text
Language: Scottish (Scots)
Our translations: FRE
Yon wild mossy mountains sae lofty and wide, That nurse in their bosom the youth o' the Clyde, Where the grouse lead their coveys thro' the heather to feed, And the shepherd tents his flock as he pipes on his reed. Not Gowrie's rich valley nor Forth's sunny shores To me hae the charms o' yon wild, mossy moors; For there, by a lanely, sequestered clear stream, Resides a sweet lassie, my thought and my dream. Amang thae wild mountains shall still be my path. Ilk stream foaming down its ain, green. narrow strath; For there wi' my lassie the daylang I rove, While o'er us unheeded flie the swift hours o' love. She is not the fairest, altho' she is fair; O' nice education but sma' is her share; Her parentage humble as humble can be; But I lo'e the dear lassie because she lo'es me. To Beauty what man but maun yield him a prize, In her armour of glances, and blushes, and sighs? And when Wit and Refinement hae polish'd her darts, They dazzle our een, as they flee to our hearts. But kindness, sweet kindness, in the fond-sparkling e'e Has lustre outshining the diamond to me, And the heart beating love as I'm clasp'd in her arms, O, these are my lassie's all-conquering charms!
Glossary
tents: tends
thae: those
ilk: each
lo'e: love
maun: must
een: eyes
Composition:
- Set to music by Percy Aldridge Grainger (1882 - 1961), "Yon wild mossy mountains", 1898 [ tenor and piano ]
Text Authorship:
- by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796)
See other settings of this text.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Montagnes sauvages et marécageuses", copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 221