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by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796)
Translation by Wilhelm Christoph Leonhard Gerhard (1780 - 1858)

Bonnie Bell
Language: English 
Our translations:  FRE
The smiling Spring comes in rejoicing, 
And surly Winter grimly flies; 
Now crystal clear are the falling waters, 
And bonie blue are the sunny skies. 
Fresh o'er the mountains breaks forth the morning, 
The ev'ning gilds the ocean's swell; 
All creatures joy in the sun's returning, 
And I rejoice in my bonie Bell. 

The flowery Spring leads sunny Summer, 
The yellow Autumn presses near; 
Then in his turn comes gloomy Winter, 
Till smiling Spring again appear: 
Thus seasons dancing, life advancing, 
Old Time and Nature their changes tell; 
But never ranging, still unchanging, 
I adore my bonie Bell.

Confirmed with Robert Burns, The Poetical Works of Robert Burns, Humphrey Milford, Oxford University Press, 1919, page 531.


Text Authorship:

  • by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "Bonnie Bell", written 1791 [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 Wilhelm Christoph Leonhard Gerhard (1780 - 1858) , "Die süße Bell " ; composed by Karl Anton Florian Eckert, Alexander Fesca, Louis Huth.
      • Go to the text.

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

  • FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Ma jolie Bell", copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this page: Pierre Mathé [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2015-11-11
Line count: 16
Word count: 98

Der Frühling kehret lächelnd wieder;
Language: German (Deutsch)  after the English 
Our translations:  ENG
Der Frühling kehret lächelnd wieder;
Der eisig grimme Winter flieht;
Das Bächlein rinnt, und bunt Gefieder 
Melodisch froh den Wald durchzieht.
Wie mild die Luft! wie sinkt die Sonne 
In Purpurglanz dem Meere zu! 
Du, Frühling, schenkst uns solche Wonne:
Mir, süße Bell, den Himmel du!

Der Lenz verblüht, des Sommers Farben 
Verweht des Herbstes kühlre Luft, 
Und Schnee bedeckt das Feld der Garben, 
Bis wiederkehrt der Blume Duft.
So tanzt das Jahr; vorüber schweben
Die Bilder wechselvoller Zeit:
Doch, süße Bell, mit Seel' und Leben
Bleib' ich im Wechsel dir geweiht! 

About the headline (FAQ)

Confirmed with Robert Burns' Gedichte. Deutsch von W. Gerhard., Leipzig, Verlag von Joh. Ambr. Barth, 1840, page 203.


Text Authorship:

  • by Wilhelm Christoph Leonhard Gerhard (1780 - 1858), "Die süße Bell " [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Based on:

  • a text in English by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "Bonnie Bell", written 1791
    • Go to the text page.

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

  • by Karl Anton Florian Eckert (1820 - 1879), "Lied", op. 15 (Lieder und Gesänge für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 1, published 1880 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, Breitkopf und Härtel [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Alexander Fesca (1820 - 1849), "Die süsse Bell", op. 22 no. 3, published 1842 [ soprano or tenor and piano ], from Drei Gedichte von R. Burns für Sopran oder Tenor mit Pianoforte, no. 3, Carlsruhe, Creuzbauer und Nöldecke [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Louis Huth (1810 - 1859), "Die süße Bell", op. 25 (Sechs Lieder mit leichter Begleitung) no. 1, published 1841 [ voice and piano ], Berlin: T. Trautwein [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: 2015-11-11
Line count: 16
Word count: 92

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This website began in 1995 as a personal project by Emily Ezust, who has been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your help is greatly appreciated!
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