O, Jenny's a' weet, poor body, Jenny's seldom dry: She draigl't a' her petticoatie, Comin thro' the rye! Chorus: Comin thro' the rye, poor body, Comin thro' the rye, She draigl't a' her petticoatie, Comin thro' the rye! Gin a body meet a body Comin thro' the rye, Gin a body kiss a body, Need a body cry? (chorus) Gin a body meet a body Comin thro' the glen Gin a body kiss a body, Need the warl' ken? (chorus) Gin a body meet a body Comin thro' the grain; Gin a body kiss a body, The thing's a body's ain. (chorus)
Glossary
weet – wet
draigl't – draggled
gin – if, should
cry – call out [for help]
warl – world
ken – know
ain – ownAuthorship
- by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "Comin thro' the rye" [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 Cyril Meir Scott (1879 - 1970), "Comin thro' the rye", published 1922 [ voice and piano ], London: Elkin [sung text not yet checked]
Set in a modified version by Helen Hopekirk.
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in English, a translation ; composed by Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich.
- Also set in Russian (Русский), a translation by Samuil Yakovlevich Marschak (1887 - 1964) , no title [an adaptation] ; composed by Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich.
- Also set in Swiss German (Schwizerdütsch), a translation by August Corrodi (1826 - 1885) ; composed by Friedrich Niggli.
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CZE Czech (Čeština) (Josef Václav Sládek) , "Jak šla žitem"
- FIN Finnish (Suomi) (Valter Juva) , "Tullut läpi viljan", written 1918
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "En venant à travers le seigle", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2019-03-08
Line count: 24
Word count: 102
Jak šla žitem Jenny malá, jak šla přes tu mez, sukničku si urousala ubožátko dnes. Ubožátko, Jenny malá, často jako dnes sukničku si urousala, jak šla přes tu mez. Někoho-li potká někdo, jak jde žitem kdes, někoho-li zhubičkuje, nač by někdo hles'? Někoho-li potká někdo, jak jde skrze les, někoho-li zhubičkuje, má to zvědět ves? Ubožátko, Jenny malá, často jako dnes sukničku si urousala, jak šla přes tu mez.
Confirmed with BURNS, Robert. Výbor z písní a ballad, translated by Josef Václav Sládek, Praha: J. Otto, 1892.
Authorship
- by Josef Václav Sládek (1845 - 1912), "Jak šla žitem" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
- a text in Scottish (Scots) by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "Comin thro' the rye"
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 ]
Researcher for this text: Andrew Schneider [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2019-08-12
Line count: 20
Word count: 69