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Again rejoicing Nature sees Her robe assume its vernal hues, ; Her leafy locks wave in the breeze, All freshly steep'd in morning dews. [Refrain : And maun I still on Menie doat, And bear the scorn that 's in her e'e ? For it's jet, jet black, an' it's like a hawk, An' it winna let a body be!]1 In vain to me the cowslips blaw, In vain to me the vi'lets spring ; In vain to me in glen or shaw, The mavis and the lintwhite sing. Refrain1 The merry ploughboy cheers his team, Wi' joy the tentie seedsman stalks; But life to me's a weary dream, A dream of ane that never wauks. Refrain1 The wanton coot the water skims, Amang the reeds the ducklings cry, The stately swan majestic swims, And ev'ry thing is blest but I. Refrain1 The sheep-herd steeks his faulding slap, And o'er the moorlands whistles shill ; Wi' wild, unequal, wand'ring step, I meet him on the dewy hill. Refrain1 And when the lark 'tween light and dark, Blythe waukens by the daisy's side, And mounts and sings on flitt'ring wings, A wae-worn ghaist I hameward glide. Refrain1 Come, Winter, with thine angry howl, And raging bend the naked tree; Thy gloom will soothe my cheerless soul, When Nature all is sad like me! Refrain1
J. Haydn sets stanzas 1-3, 5-7
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 77.
1 omitted by HaydnGlossary:
Shaw = woody grove by a water sideMavis = trush
Lintwhite = linnet
Tentie = cautious
Wauks = wakens
Steeks = closes
Slap = gate to the sheep-fold
Text Authorship:
- by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "Composed in Spring" [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), "I wish my Love were in a myre", JHW XXXII/3 no. 158, Hob. XXXIa no. 177, stanzas 1-3,5-7 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CZE Czech (Čeština) (Josef Václav Sládek) , "Mennie"
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani , Pierre Mathé [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2010-01-10
Line count: 38
Word count: 226
Encore une fois la nature ravie voit Sa robe adopter ses teintes printanières ; Ses boucles feuillues flottent dans la brise, Toutes fraîchement trempées de la rosée du matin. [Refrain : Et dois-je encore être fou de Menie Et supporter le mépris de son regard ? Car il est de jais, de jais noir, et il est comme un épervier, Et ne veut laisser personne tranquille !]1 En vain pour moi les primevères éclosent, En vain pour moi les violettes poussent, En vain pour moi dans le vallon ou le bosquet La grive et la linotte chantent. [Refrain]1 Le joyeux laboureur encourage son équipage, Le semeur attentif avance avec joie ; Mais pour moi la vie est un rêve fatiguant, Un rêve de quelqu'un qui jamais ne se réveille. [Refrain]1 [Le foulque folâtre écume les eaux, Dans les roseaux les canetons crient, Le superbe cygne nage majestueusement, Et tout se réjouit sauf moi. Refrain]1 Le berger ferme la barrière de l'enclos, Et siffle au-dessus de la lande, D'un pas impétueux, inégal, Je le rencontre sur le coteau humide de rosée. [Refrain]1 Et lorsque l'alouette, entre jour et nuit, S'éveille heureuse parmi les pâquerettes, Puis monte et chante sur son aile tremblotante, Je me glisse vers la maison, ombre usée par le malheur. [Refrain]1 Viens Hiver en hurlant ta colère Et en tordant de rage les arbres dénudés ; Ton obscurité apaisera mon âme sans joie, Quand toute la nature sera triste comme moi. [Refrain]1
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)Title "Composed in Spring" = "Composé au printemps"
1 : omis par Haydn
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.
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Based on:
- a text in Scottish (Scots) by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "Composed in Spring"
This text was added to the website: 2014-10-23
Line count: 38
Word count: 258