Wae is my heart, and the tear's in my e'e; Lang, lang has Joy been a stranger to me: Forsaken and friendless, my burden I bear, And the sweet voice o' Pity ne'er sounds in my ear. Love thou hast pleasures, and deep hae I luv'd; Love, thou hast sorrows, and sair hae I pruv'd; But this bruised heart that now bleeds in my breast, I can feel, by its throbbings, will soon be at rest. Oh, if I were - where happy I hae been - Down by yon stream, and yon bonnie castle-green; For there he is wand'ring and musing on me, Wha wad soon dry the tear-drop that clings to my e'e.
Text Authorship:
- by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "The Tear-Drop", written 1794 [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):
- [ None yet in the database ]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Heinrich Julius Heintze (1811 - 1860) , "O schwer ist mein Herz" ; composed by Ferdinand von Hiller, Carl Lührss.
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Wilhelm Christoph Leonhard Gerhard (1780 - 1858) , "Liebesweh" ; composed by Heinrich Esser, Heinrich August Marschner.
- Also set in German (Deutsch), [adaptation] ; composed by Joseph Rheinberger.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- GER German (Deutsch) ((Johann) Philipp Kaufmann) , no title [an adaptation]
Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2009-05-23
Line count: 12
Word count: 113
Wie ist mein Auge so thränenschwer! Schon lange kennt mich die Freude nicht mehr; Nicht Mitleid flüstert mir Trost in's Ohr, Und tief betraur' ich, was ich verlor. Die Liebe hat Wonnen, ich habe geliebt; Die Liebe hat Trübsal, ich war betrübt; Noch klopft mir im Busen das Herz so schwer: Doch bald - ich fühl' es - bald klopft's nicht mehr. O wär' ich dort, wo ich selig war, An jenem Strome so hell und klar! Dort schweifet mein Lieb am Wanderstab; Der wischte wohl gern die Thräne mir ab.
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with Robert Burns' Gedichte, deutsch von W. Gerhard, Mit des Dichters Leben und erläuternden Bemerkungen, Leipzig, 1840, page 234.
Text Authorship:
- by Wilhelm Christoph Leonhard Gerhard (1780 - 1858), "Liebesweh" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Scottish (Scots) by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "The Tear-Drop", written 1794
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Heinrich Esser (1818 - 1872), "Liebesweh", op. 61 no. 4, published 1860 [ voice and piano ], from 6 Lieder von R. Burns, no. 4, Mainz, Schott [sung text not yet checked]
- by Heinrich August Marschner (1795 - 1861), "Wie ist mein Auge so thränenschwer", op. 123b no. 2, published 1843 [ voice and piano ], from Sehnsucht der Liebe. 2 Lieder, no. 2, Hannover, Bachmann; note: this opus was used earlier the same year by another publisher so we have added the letter 'b' to distinguish it [sung text not yet checked]
- by Heinrich August Marschner (1795 - 1861), "Wie ist mein Auge so thränenschwer", op. 107 no. 4, published 1841 [ soprano or tenor and piano ], from Robert Burns Lieder für Tenor oder Sopran, no. 4, Leipzig, Breitkopf und Härtel [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2015-05-04
Line count: 12
Word count: 89