by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796)
The happy trio
Language: Scottish (Scots)
Our translations: FRE
O Willie brew'd a peck o' maut, And Rob and Allan cam to see; Three blyther hearts, that lee lang night, Ye wad na found in Christendie. Chorus: We are na fou, we're [nae]1 that fou, But just a drappie in our e'e; The cock may craw, the day may daw, And ay we'll taste the barley bree. Here are we met, three merry boys, Three merry boys I trow are we; And mony a night we've merry been, And mony mae we hope to be! We are na fou, we're nae that fou... It is the moon, I ken her horn, That 's blinkin in the lift sae hie; She shines sae bright to wyle us hame, But by my sooth she'll wait a wee! We are na fou, we're nae that fou... Wha first shall rise to gang awa, A cuckold, coward loun is he! Wha first beside his chair shall fa', He is the king amang us three! We are na fou, we're nae that fou...
View original text (without footnotes)
1 Haydn: "no"
Glossary
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
1 Haydn: "no"
Glossary
Maut = dry measure of malt
Lee lang = live-long
We are na fou = we are not drunk
Drappy = little drop
Bree = ale
Lift = sky
Wyle = entice
Loun = ragamuffin
Text Authorship:
- by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796) [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), "The happy trio", Hob. XXXIa:243, JHW. XXXII/3 no. 260 [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CZE Czech (Čeština) (Josef Václav Sládek) , "Veselá trojice"
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Le joyeux trio", copyright © 2019, (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: 24
Word count: 168