by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796)
Translation by Josef Václav Sládek (1845 - 1912)

Flow gently, sweet Afton, among thy...
Language: English 
Our translations:  FRE
Flow gently, sweet Afton, among thy green braes,
Flow gently, I'll sing thee a song in thy praise;
My Mary's asleep by thy murmuring stream,
Flow gently, sweet Afton, disturb not her dream.

Thou stock dove whose echo resounds thro' the glen,
Ye wild whistling blackbirds in yon thorny den,
Thou green-crested lapwing, thy screaming forbear,
I charge you disturb not my slumbering Fair.

How lofty, sweet Afton, thy neighbouring hills, 
Far marked with the courses of [clear]1, winding rills; 
There daily I wander as noon rises high, 
My flocks and my Mary's sweet cot in my eye. 

How pleasant thy banks and green valleys below, 
Where, wild in the woodlands, the primroses blow; 
There oft, as mild ev'ning weeps over the lea, 
The sweet-scented birk shades my Mary and me.

Thy crystal stream, Afton, how lovely it glides,
And winds by the cot where my Mary resides;
How wanton thy waters her snowy feet lave,
As, gathering sweet flowerets, she stems thy clear wave.

Flow gently, sweet Afton, among thy green braes,
Flow gently, sweet River, the theme of my lays;
My Mary's asleep by thy murmuring stream,
Flow gently, sweet Afton, disturb not her dream.

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

•   B. Britten •   H. Hopekirk 

B. Britten sets stanzas 1-2, 5-6
H. Hopekirk sets stanzas 1-3, 6

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)
1 Hopekirk: "sweet"

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):

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

  • Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Wilhelm Christoph Leonhard Gerhard (1780 - 1858) , "Mary schlummert", first published 1840? ; composed by Wilhelm Baumgartner, Moritz Hauptmann.
  • Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by L. G. Silbergleit , "Ström' leise" [an adaptation] ; composed by Carl Goldmark, George Henschel, Robert von Hornstein.
  • Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Carl Martin Reinthaler.

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


Research team for this page: Jean Branch , Garrett Medlock [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 199

Na Aftonu
Language: Czech (Čeština)  after the English 
Plyň zvolna, Aftone, přes luhy a vřes,
plyň zvolna, k tvé chvále já zazpívám dnes;
má Mary tu dříme u ševelných pěn,
plyň zvolna, Aftone, a neruš jí sen.

Tam v dolu mi ustaň, ty hrdličko, již,
ty hvízdavý kose tam v trní se ztiš,
juž přestaň, ty čejko, mi volat a lkát,
mou dívku, vás žádám, teď nechtě mi spát.

Jak pnou se, Aftone, tvé pahorky kol,
jak čistě klikatí se bystřené v dol,
tam každý den bloudím, když slunce jde výš,
mám před sebou stáda i Marynu chýž.

Jak milý tvých zelených dolin je vzhled,
kde v lesinách divokých petrklíč zkvet’,
tam často, když vlahý už soumrak je dne,
bříz vonných kmen stíní mou Mary i mne.

Jak čistý, Aftone, tvých proudů je třpyt,
když vinou se kolem, kde Maryn je byt,
jak laškují vody kol nožek jak sníh,
když stavíc je trhá květ na březích tvých.

Plyň zvolna, Aftone, přes luhy a vřes,
plyň zvolna, má řeko, já zpívám ti dnes;
má Mary tu dříme u ševelných pěn,
plyň zvolna, Aftone, a neruš jí sen.

Confirmed with Výbor z písní a ballad - Robert Burns, translated by Josef Václav Sládek.


Text Authorship:

Based on:

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

    [ None yet in the database ]


Researcher for this page: Andrew Schneider [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2019-08-04
Line count: 24
Word count: 178