by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796)
Green grow the rashes See original
Language: Scottish (Scots)
Our translations: FRE
Chorus Green grow the rashes, O ; Green grow the rashes, O ; The sweetest hours that e'er I spent, Are spent amang the lasses, O. There's nought but care on ev'ry han', In ev'ry hour that passes, O: What signifies the life o' man If 'twere na for the lasses, O. The warldly race may riches chase, And riches still may fly them, O; And tho' at last they catch them fast, Their hearts can ne'er enjoy them, O. Gie me a canny hour at e'en, My arms about my dearie, O, And warldly cares, and warldly men May a' gae tapsalteerie, O ! For you sae douse, ye sneer at this ; Ye're nought but senseless asses O; The wisest man the warld saw, He dearly lov'd the lasses, O. Auld Nature swears, the lovely dears Her noblest work she classes, O; Her prentice han' she tried on man, And then she made the lasses, O. (Chorus)
Glossary:
Canny = gentle
Tapsalteerie = topsy-turvy
Douse = sober, prudent
Composition:
- Set to music by (Franz) Joseph Haydn (1732 - 1809), "Green grow the rashes", JHW XXXII/3 no. 218, Hob. XXXIa no. 8bis
Text Authorship:
- by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "Green grow the rashes, O"
See other settings of this text.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CZE Czech (Čeština) (Josef Václav Sládek) , "Ó sítin zelených"
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Les roseaux poussent verts, oh !", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani
This text was added to the website: 2010-01-10
Line count: 26
Word count: 167