by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796)

The small birds rejoice in the green...
Language: English 
Our translations:  FRE
  Air -- "Captain O'Kean."

The small birds rejoice [in]1 the green leaves returning,	
The murmuring streamlet winds clear thro' the vale;	
The primroses blow in the dews of the morning,	
And wild scatter'd cowslips bedeck the green dale:	
But what can give pleasure, or what can seem fair,
When the lingering moments are [numbered by]2 care?	
No birds sweetly singing, nor flow'rs gaily springing,	
Can soothe the sad bosom of joyless despair.	
 
The deed that I dared, could it merit their malice?	
A king and a father to place on his throne!
His right are these hills, and his right are these valleys,	
Where [the]3 wild beasts find shelter, tho' I can find none!	
But 'tis not my suff'rings, thus wretched, forlorn,	
My brave gallant friends, 'tis your ruin I mourn;	
Your faith proved so loyal in hot bloody trial, --
Alas! [I can]4 make it no better return!

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)
Confirmed with Burns, Robert. Poems and Songs. Vol. VI. The Harvard Classics. New York: P.F. Collier & Son, 1909–14; Bartleby.com, 2001. www.bartleby.com/6/223.html

1 Haydn: "on"
2 Haydn: "number'd wi' "
3 omitted by Haydn
4 in another version by Burns: "can I" (cf. The Complete Poetical Works of Robert Burns, Cambridge edition, Boston and New York, Houghton Mifflin Company, 1897, page 318; in this publication the poem has an extra line break in the penultimate line of each stanza.)


Text Authorship:

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

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

  • FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , title unknown, copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani

This text was added to the website: 2011-03-06
Line count: 17
Word count: 152