by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796)
Translation © by Pierre Mathé

Wilt thou be my dearie?
 (Sung text for setting by A. Beach)
 See original
Language: Scottish (Scots) 
Our translations:  FRE
Wilt thou be my dearie?
When sorrow wrings thy gentle heart,
 ...  wilt thou let me chear thee?
By the treasure of my soul —
That's the love I bear thee —
I swear and vow that only thou
Shall ever be my dearie !
Only thou, I swear and vow,
Shall ever be my dearie !

Lassie, say thou lo'es me,
Or if thou wilt na be my ain,
Say na thou'lt refuse me !
If it winna, canna be,
Thou for thine may choose me,
Let me, lassie, quickly die,
Trusting that thou lo'es me !
Lassie, let me quickly die,
Trusting that thou lo'es me!

Composition:

    Set to music by Amy Marcy Cheney Beach (1867 - 1944), "Wilt thou be my dearie?", op. 12 no. 1 [ voice and piano ]

Text Authorship:

See other settings of this text.

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


Research team for this page: Guy Laffaille [Guest Editor] , Pierre Mathé [Guest Editor] , Johann Winkler

This text was added to the website: 2008-06-08
Line count: 18
Word count: 105

Language: French (Français)  after the Scottish (Scots) 
Veux-tu être ma chérie ?
Quand le chagrin étreindra ton gentil cœur,
 veux-tu me laisser te chérir ?
Par le trésor de mon âme—
C'est l'amour que je te porte —
Je jure et je promets que toi seule
Seras toujours ma chérie !
Toi seule, je le jure et le promets,
Seras toujours ma chérie !

Mignonne, dis que tu m'aimes,
Ou si tu ne veux pas être mienne,
Ne dis pas que tu me refuseras !
Si cela ne doit, ne peut être,
Que tu puisses me choisir,
Mignonne, laisse-moi vite mourir,
En croyant que tu m'aimes !
Mignonne, laisse-moi vite mourir,
En croyant que tu m'aimes !

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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:

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This text was added to the website: 2014-11-25
Line count: 18
Word count: 105