by Peter Anthony Motteux (1663 - 1718)

Sawney is a bonny lad
Language: English 
Our translations:  ITA
Sawney is a bonny lad,
But Sawney kens it well,
And Sawney might a boon have had,
But Sawney loves to tell.
He weens that I mun love him soon,
Gin lovers now are rare,
But I'd as lief have none, as one,
Whom twanty share.

When anent your love you come,
Ah! Sawney were you true,
What tho' I seem to frown and gloom,
I ne'er could gang from you.
Yet still my tongue, do what I can,
With muckle woe denies,
Wa'es me! when once we like a man,
It boots not to be wise.

Text Authorship:

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

Available translations, adaptations, and transliterations (if applicable):

  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , title 1: "Sawney è un grazioso ragazzo", copyright © 2009, (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: 16
Word count: 97