by
Robert Burns (1759 - 1796)
The Highland Widow's Lament
Language: Scottish (Scots)
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:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
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Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
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
Lamentation de la veuve du haut pays
Language: French (Français) after the Scottish (Scots)
Oh, je suis venue au bas pays.
Oh malheur à moi !
Sans un sou en bourse
Pour m'acheter un repas.
Ce n'était pas ainsi dans les collines du haut,
Oh malheur à moi !
Aucune femme de tout le pays
N'était aussi heureuse que moi.
Car alors, j'avais nombreuses vaches,
Oh malheur à moi !
Qui broutaient les hautes herbes,
Et me donnaient leur lait.
Et là‑bas j'avais de nombreux moutons,
Oh malheur à moi !
Qui gambadaient sur les belles collines,
Et me donnaient leur lait.
J'étais la plus heureuse du clan,
Aie, aie, que cela me manque ;
Car Donald était le plus brave des hommes,
Et Donald était à moi.
Jusqu'à ce que vint Charlie Stewart,
Semble‑t‑il pour nous délivrer ;
Alors il fallut le bras de mon Donald,
Pour l'Écosse et pour moi.
Je dois dire leur triste destin,
Le bien le céda au mal ;
Mon Donald et son Pays tombèrent
Au champ de Culloden.
Oh malheur à moi ! Ô Donald, Ô
Oh malheur à moi !, Oh malheur à moi !
Aucune femme au monde
N'est aussi misérable que moi.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from Scottish (Scots) to French (Français) copyright © 2008 by Pierre Mathé, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
- a text in Scottish (Scots) by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "The Highland Widow's Lament"
This text was added to the website: 2008-03-17
Line count: 32
Word count: 179
