by
Robert Burns (1759 - 1796)
What can a young lassie do
Language: Scottish (Scots)
What can a young lassie, what shall a young lassie,
What can a young lassie do wi' an auld man?
Bad luck on the penny that tempted my minny
To sell her poor Jenny for siller and lan
He's always compleenin frae mornin' to e'enin,
He hosts and he hirples the weary day lang:
He's doyl't and he's dozin, his blude it is frozen,
O dool on the day I met wi' an auld man.
He hums and he hankers, he frets and he cankers,
I never can please him, do a' that I can;
He's peevish, and jealous of a' the young fellows,
0 dool on the day I met wi' an auld man!
My auld auntie Katie upon me takes pity,
I'll do my endeavour to follow her plan;
I'll cross him, and wrack him, until I heart-break him,
And then his auld brass will buy me a new pan!
minny= mother;
hosts = coughs;
hirples = limps;
doyl't = stupid;
dozin = almost lifeless;
dool = sorrow;
hankers = wavers;
cankers = snarls;
wrack = tease
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):
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CZE Czech (Čeština) (Josef Václav Sládek) , "Co má děvče mladé…"
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Que peut faire une jeune gamine", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Guy Laffaille
[Guest Editor] This text was added to the website: 2008-06-08
Line count: 16
Word count: 152
Que peut faire une jeune gamine
Language: French (Français) after the Scottish (Scots)
Que peut faire une jeune gamine, que fera une jeune gamine,
Que peut faire une jeune gamine avec un vieil homme ?
Pas de chance avec le penny qui tenta ma mère
Pour vendre sa pauvre Jenny pour de l'argent et de la terre.
Il se plaint sans cesse du matin au soir,
Il tousse et il boite toute la mortelle journée :
Il est stupide et il est presque sans vie, son sang est glacé,
Ô lugubre jour où je suis tombée sur un vieil homme.
Il pue et il chancelle, il s'agite et il est hargneux,
Je ne peux jamais lui plaire, quoi que je fasse ;
Il est grincheux et jaloux de tous les jeunes gens,
O lugubre jour où je suis tombée sur un vieil homme.
Ma vieille tante Katie a pitié de moi,
Je vais essayer de suivre son plan ;
Je vais le contrecarrer et le tourmenter jusqu'à ce que son cœur s'arrête
Et alors son vieux pognon m'achètera une poêle neuve !
Text Authorship:
- Translation from Scottish (Scots) to French (Français) copyright © 2008 by Guy Laffaille, (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.
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Based on:
This text was added to the website: 2008-06-09
Line count: 16
Word count: 164