Poortith Cauld | O poortith cauld, and restless love

by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796)

O poortith cauld, and restless love

Language: Scottish (Scots)

Our translations: FIN FRE

O poortith cauld, and restless love,
  Ye wrack my peace between ye;
Yet poortith a' I could forgive
  An 'twere na for my Jeanie.

Chorus:
  O why should Fate sic pleasure have,
  Life's dearest bands untwining?
  Or why sae sweet a flower as love,
  Depend on Fortune's shining?

This warld's wealth when I think on,
  Its pride, and a' the lave o't;
My curse on silly coward man,
  That he should be the slave o't.

Her een sae bonie blue betray,
  How she repays my passion;
But Prudence is her o'erword ay,
  She talks o' rank and fashion.

O wha can prudence think upon,
  And sic a lassie by him:
O wha can prudence think upon,
  And sae in love as I am?

How blest the wild-wood Indian's fate,
  He wooes his simple Dearie:
The silly bogles, Wealth and State,
  Did never make them eerie.

About the headline (FAQ)

Tune: "Cauld kail in Aberdeen"

Text Authorship:

by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "O poortith cauld" [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 (Franz) Joseph Haydn (1732 - 1809), "O poortith cauld. I had a horse", JHW. XXXII/5 no. 414, Hob. XXXIa no. 17bis, one of the Scottish Songs for William Whyte arranged by Haydn [ sung text checked 1 time]
by Michael Tippett (1905 - 1998), "Poortith Cauld", 1956, published 1958 [chorus a cappella], from Four Songs from the British Isles, no. 3 [ sung text checked 1 time]

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

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 25
Word count: 144