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by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796)

Green grow the rashes
 (Sung text for setting by J. Haydn)
 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

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