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Ich bin gekommen ins Niederland, O weh! o weh! o weh! So ausgeplündert haben sie mich, Daß ich vor Hunger vergeh. So war's in meinem Hochland nicht; O weh! o weh! o weh! Ein hochbeglückter Weib, als ich, War nicht auf Thal und Höh! Denn damals hatt' ich zwanzig Küh'; O weh! o weh! o weh! Die gaben Milch und Butter mir, Und weideten im Klee. Und sechzig Schafe hatt' ich dort; O weh! o weh! o weh! Die wärmten mich mit weichem Vließ Bei Frost und Winterschnee. Es konnte Kein' im ganzen Clan Sich größern Glückes freun; Denn Donald war der schönste Mann, Und Donald, der war mein! So blieb's, bis Charlie Stuart kam, Alt-Schottland zu befrein; Da mußte Donald seinen Arm Ihm und dem Lande leihn. Was sie befiel, wer weiß es nicht? Dem Unrecht wich das Recht, Und auf Culloden's blut'gem Feld Erlagen Herr und Knecht. -- O! Daß ich kam ins Niederland! O weh! o weh! o weh! Nun giebt's kein unglückselger Weib Vom Hochland bis zur See!
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with Robert Burns’ Gedichte deutsch von W. Gerhard, Leipzig: Verlag von Joh. Ambr. Barth, 1840, page 320-321
Text Authorship:
- by Wilhelm Christoph Leonhard Gerhard (1780 - 1858), "Die Hochländer-Wittwe" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Scottish (Scots) by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "The Highland Widow's Lament"
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Gustav Dullo (1832 - 1907), "Des Hochländers Wittwe", op. 8 (Drei Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 1, published 1874 [ voice and piano ], Königberg [sic], Jakubowski [sung text not yet checked]
- by Robert Schumann (1810 - 1856), "Die Hochländer-Witwe", op. 25 no. 10 (1840), published 1840 [ voice and piano ], from Myrten, no. 10, Leipzig, Kistner [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Marta Garcia Cadena) , "La vídua de la terra alta", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "De weduwe uit de Hooglanden", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "The highlander’s widow", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "La veuve du haut pays", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Pilar Lirio , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2003-11-19
Line count: 32
Word count: 172
I have come down to the lowlands, Oh woe! oh woe! oh woe! They have pillaged me to such an extent That I am perishing of hunger. It was not thus in my highlands; Oh woe! oh woe! oh woe! A more ecstatically happy wife than I Could not be found in the valley or on the heights! For back then I had twenty cows; Oh woe! oh woe! oh woe! They gave me milk and butter, And grazed in the clover. And sixty sheep I had back there; Oh woe! oh woe! oh woe! They warmed me with their soft fleece In the frost and snow of winter. There was no one in the whole clan Who could rejoice in greater good fortune; For Donald was the most handsome man, And Donald, he was mine! Thus it remained until Charlie Stuart came To free old Scotland; Then Donald had to lend his service To him and to the land. What befell them, who does not know it? Right gave way to injustice, And upon Culloden’s bloody battlefield Masters and servants were slain. -- Oh! that I came down to the lowlands! Oh woe! oh woe! oh woe! Now there is no woman more unhappy than I From the highlands to the sea!
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2016 by Sharon Krebs, (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 German (Deutsch) by Wilhelm Christoph Leonhard Gerhard (1780 - 1858), "Die Hochländer-Wittwe"
Based on:
- a text in Scottish (Scots) by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "The Highland Widow's Lament"
This text was added to the website: 2016-01-13
Line count: 32
Word count: 213