When rosy May comes in wi' flowers,
To deck her gay, green-spreading bowers,
Then busy, busy are his hours,
The Gard'ner wi' his paidle.
The crystal waters gently fa',
The merry bards are lovers a',
The scented breezes round him blaw —
The Gard'ner wi' his paidle.
When purple morning starts the hare
To steal upon her early fare,
Then thro' the dews he maun repair —
The Gard'ner wi' his paidle.
When day, expiring in the west,
The curtain draws o' Nature's rest,
He flies to her arms he lo'es the best,
The Gard'ner wi' his paidle.
Confirmed with The Complete Poetical Works of Robert Burns, Cambridge edition, Boston and New York, Houghton Mifflin Company, 1897, page 218.
Text Authorship:
- by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "The gard'ner wi' his paidle" [author's text checked 2 times 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 gard'ner wi' his paidle", JHW. XXXII/1 no. 45, Hob. XXXIa no. 45 [ sung text checked 1 time]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Adolf Wilhelm Ernst von Winterfeld (1824 - 1888) , "Wenn ros'ger Mai mit Blumen naht", written 1789 FRE ; composed by Richard Kleinmichel.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Le jardinier avec sa bêche", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2009-09-26
Line count: 16
Word count: 98
Wenn ros'ger Mai mit Blumen naht,
Wenn keimt des Frühlings bunte Saat,
Dann ist geschäftig, früh und spat
Der Gärtner mit der Hacke.
So lieblich braus't des Bachleins Fall,
Liebhaber sind die Vöglein all',
Die Blumen grüßen allzumal,
Den Gärtner mit der Hacke.
Und wenn der Morgensonne Strahl,
Das Häschen stört bei'm frühen Mahl,
Vergoldet er schon jedesmal
Den Gärtner mit der Hacke.
Doch, wenn der Tag erstirbt im West,
Die Nacht den Vorhang fallen läßt,
Dann kommt in Liebchens Arm das Best',
Für'n Gärtner mit der Hacke.
Text Authorship:
- by Adolf Wilhelm Ernst von Winterfeld (1824 - 1888), "Wenn ros'ger Mai mit Blumen naht", written 1789 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Scottish (Scots) by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "The gard'ner wi' his paidle"
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Richard Kleinmichel (1846 - 1901), "Wenn ros'ger Mai mit Blumen naht", op. 32 (Acht Lieder für Frauenchor mit willkührlich Pianofortebegleitung) no. 3, published 1879 [ women's chorus and piano ad libitum ], Leipzig, Rieter-Biedermann [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2009-09-26
Line count: 16
Word count: 88