Chorus Bonnie wee thing, canie wee thing, Lovely wee thing, [was]1 thou mine; I wad wear thee in my bosom, Least my Jewel I should tine. - Wishfully I look and languish In that bonie face o' thine; And my heart it stounds wi' anguish, Least my wee thing be na mine. - Bonnie wee thing, canie wee thing... Wit, and Grace, and Love, and Beauty, In ae constellation shine; To adore thee is my duty, Goddess o' this soul o' mine!
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)Note: in some editions, "bonnie" is spelled "bonie"
1 in some editions, "wert"
Text Authorship:
- by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), title 1: "Bonnie wee thing", title 2: "Bonie wee thing" [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 (Franz) Joseph Haydn (1732 - 1809), "The bonnie wee thing", JHW. XXXII/5 no. 392, Hob. XXXIa no. 102bis [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Humphrey Procter-Gregg (1895 - 1980), "Bonny wee thing" [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CZE Czech (Čeština) (Josef Václav Sládek) , "Malé hezké stvořeníčko"
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Jolie petite chose", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 14
Word count: 81
Malé, hezké stvořeníčko, kdybys ty jen byla mou, jako klenot nejvzácnější nosil bych tě na prsou. Zamyšleně, roztouženě já se dívám v líci tvou, srdce mé se bázní chvěje, že nebudeš nikdy mou. Duch a něha, s láskou krása v tobě září najednou, musím tebe zbožňovati celou, vroucí duší svou. Malé, hezké stvořeníčko, kdybys ty jen byla mou, jako klenot nejvzácnější nosil bych tě na prsou.
Confirmed with BURNS, Robert. Výbor z písní a ballad, translated by Josef Václav Sládek, Praha: J. Otto, 1892.
Text Authorship:
- by Josef Václav Sládek (1845 - 1912), "Malé hezké stvořeníčko" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Scottish (Scots) by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), title 1: "Bonnie wee thing", title 2: "Bonie wee thing"
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- [ None yet in the database ]
Researcher for this page: Andrew Schneider [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2019-08-11
Line count: 16
Word count: 66