Belle Polly Stewart | Ô belle Polly Stewart

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by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796)

Translation © by Pierre Mathé

O lovely Polly Stewart

Language: Scottish (Scots)

Our translations: FRE

Chorus
    O lovely Polly Stewart,
    O charming Polly Stewart,
There's not a flower that blooms in May,
    That's half so fair as thou art.

The flower it blaws, it fades and fa's,
    And art can ne'er renew it ;
But Worth and Truth eternal Youth
    Will give to Polly Stewart!

May he [whase arms shall fauld thy charms]¹
    Possess a leal a true heart !
To him be given to ken the heav'n
    He [grasps]² in Polly Stewart !

Chorus
    O lovely Polly Stewart,
    O charming Polly Stewart.
There's ne'er a flower that blooms in May
    That's half so sweet as thou art.

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

• L. Beethoven

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)
Confirmed with The Complete Poetical Works of Robert Burns, Cambridge edition, Boston and New York, Houghton Mifflin Company, 1897, page 259.

¹ Beethoven: "who wins thy matchless charm"
² Beethoven: "gains"

Text Authorship:

by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "Lovely Polly Stewart" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

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

by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827), "Polly Stewart", WoO. 156 (12 Scottish Songs) no. 7, G. 227 no. 7, published 1818 [ vocal trio, piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Ignaz Brüll.

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

CZE Czech (Čeština) (Josef Václav Sládek) , "Polly Stewartova"
GER German (Deutsch) [singable] (Georg Pertz) , "Polly Stewart"

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

This text was added to the website: 2006-06-11
Line count: 18
Word count: 102

Belle Polly Stewart

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

Refrain
    Ô belle Polly Stewart,
    Ô charmante Polly Stewart,
Il n'y a pas de fleur fleurissant en mai
    Qui soit moitié aussi belle que tu es.

La fleur, elle s'épanouit, se fane et tombe,
    Et l'art ne pourra jamais la renouveler ;
Mais Valeur et Vérité donneront
    À Polly Stewart une éternelle jeunesse !

Puisse celui dont les bras enlaceront tes charmes
    Posséder un cœur loyal et fidèle !
Qu'il lui soit donné de connaître le ciel
    En étreignant Polly Stewart !

Refrain
    Ô belle Polly Stewart,
    Ô charmante Polly Stewart,
Il n'y a pas de fleur fleurissant en mai
    Qui soit moitié aussi belle que tu es.

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.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in Scottish (Scots) by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "Lovely Polly Stewart"
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2014-07-26
Line count: 18
Word count: 104