by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796)
By Allan stream I chanc'd to rove
Language: Scottish (Scots)
Available translation(s): FRE
By Allan stream I chanc'd to rove, While Phoebus sunk beyond Benledi; The winds were whispering through the grove, The yellow corn was waving ready ; I listen'd to a lover's sang, An' thought on youthful pleasures monie, And ay the wild wood echoes rang : "O, my love Annie 's very bonie !" O happy be the woodbine bower, Nae nightly bogle make it eerie ! Nor ever sorrow stain the hour, The place and time I met my dearie! Her head upon my throbbing breast, She, sinking, said, "I'm thine for ever!" While monie a kiss the seal imprest, The sacred vow we ne'er should sever! The haunt o' Spring's the primrose brae. The Simmer joy's the flocks to follow. How cheery thro' her short'ning day Is Autumn in her weeds o' yellow ! But can they melt the glowing heart, Or chain the soul in speechless pleasure, Or through each nerve the rapture dart, Like meeting her, our bosom's treasure ?
About the headline (FAQ)
View text with footnotesConfirmed with The Complete Poetical Works of Robert Burns, Cambridge edition, Boston and New York, Houghton Mifflin Company, 1897, page 278.
Glossary
Bogle = hobgoblin
Brae = hillside
Authorship:
- by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "By Allan Stream" [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), "Jingling Johnie", Hob. XXXIa:263, JHW. XXXII/3 no. 259 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CZE Czech (Čeština) (Josef Václav Sládek) , "U Allanu"
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this text: Ferdinando Albeggiani , Pierre Mathé [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2009-08-12
Line count: 24
Word count: 164