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by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796)

The Highland Widow's Lament
Language: Scottish (Scots) 
Our translations:  FRE
Oh I am come to the low Countrie, 
Ochon, Ochon, Ochrie!
Without a penny in my purse. 
To buy a meal to me. 

It was na sae in the Highland hills, 
Ochon, Ochon, Ochrie!
Nae woman in the Country wide 
Sae happy was as me. 

For then I had a score o' kye 
Ochon, Ochon, Ochrie!
Feeding on you nill sae high, 
And giving milk to me. 

And there I had three score o' yowes, 
Ochon, Ochon, Ochrie!
Skipping on ou bonie knowes, 
And casting woo to me. 

I was the happiest of a' the Clan, 
Sair, sair may I repine;
For Donald was the brawest man, 
And Donald he was mine. 

Till Charlie Stewart cam at last, 
Sae far to set us free;
My Donald's arm was wanted then, 
For Scotland and for me. 

Their waefu' fate what need I tell, 
Right to wrang did yield;
My Donald and his Country fell 
Upon Culloden field. 

Ochon! O Donald, oh! 
Ochon, Ochon, Ochrie!
Nae woman in the warld wide, 
Sae wretched now as me.

Text Authorship:

  • by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "The Highland Widow's Lament" [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 Hochländer-Wittwe" CAT DUT ENG FRE FRE ; composed by Gustav Dullo, Robert Schumann.
      • Go to the text.

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

  • FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Lamentation de la veuve du haut pays", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2003-11-19
Line count: 32
Word count: 174

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