L'hiver de la vie | On voyait depuis peu, vêtus d'un vert guilleret

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by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796)

Translation © by Pierre Mathé

The death of the linnet

(Sung text for setting by J. Haydn)

See original

Language: Scottish (Scots)

Our translations: FRE

But lately seen, in gladsome green,
The woods rejoic'd the day ;
Through gentle showers, the laughing flowers
In double pride were gay ;
But now our joys are fled
On winter blasts awa,
Yet maiden May, in rich array
Again shall bring them a'.
 
But my white powl, nae kindly thowe
Shall melt the snaws of age !
My trunk of eild, but buss or beild,
Sinks in time's wintry rage.
O age has weary, weary days
And nights o' sleepless pain!
Thou golden time o' youthful prime,
Why com'st thou not again ?

Glossary:
powl = head; thowe = thaw; eild = old age; buss = bush; beild = shelter

Composition:

(Franz) Joseph Haydn

Text Authorship:

by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "The winter of life"

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

FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "L'hiver de la vie", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani , Pierre Mathé [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2009-06-14
Line count: 16
Word count: 92

L'hiver de la vie

(Sung text translation for setting by J. Haydn)

See original

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

On voyait depuis peu, vêtus d'un vert guilleret,
Les bois égayer le jour ;
Les fleurs radieuses sous les aimables pluies
Étaient doublement fières et gaies ;
Mais maintenant nos joies se sont envolées
Avec les rafales de l'hiver,
Pourtant demoiselle Mai dans ses beaux atours
Les ramènera toutes à nouveau.

Mais sur ma tête blanche, aucun gracieux dégel
Ne fera fondre les neiges de l'âge !
Mon tronc de grand âge, sans arbuste ni abri,
S'affaisse au temps des colères hivernales.
Ô la vieillesse a des jours usants, usants
Et de douloureuses nuits sans sommeil !
Temps doré de la première jeunesse,
Pourquoi ne reviens-tu pas ?

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), "The winter of life"
- Go to the text page.

Go to the general single-text view

This text was added to the website: 2014-11-10
Line count: 16
Word count: 103