by Anonymous / Unidentified Author
Ettrick banks
Language: English
On Ettrick banks, in a simmer's night, At gloaming when the sheep came hame, I met my lassie, braw and tight, Come wading through the mist her lane: My heart grew light; I ran, I flang My arms about her lily neck, And kiss'd and clapt her there fu' lang, My words they were na mony feck. I said, my lassie, will ye go To the Highland hills, the Earse to learn? I'll gie thee baith a cow and ewe When ye come to the brig of Earn, At Leith auld meal comes in, ne'er fash, And herrings at the Broomy Law; Cheer up your heart, my bonie lass, There's gear to win we never saw. All day when we have wrought enough, When winter frosts and snaws begin, Soon as the sun gaes west the loch, At night when ye sit down to spin, I'll screw my pipes, and play a spring; And thus the weary night we'll end, Till the tender kid and lamb-time bring Our pleasant simmer back again. Syne when the trees are in their bloom, And gowans glent o'er ilka field, I'll meet my lass amang the broom, And lead her to my simmer shield. There far frae a' their scornfu' din, That make the kindly hearts their sport, We'll laugh, and kiss, and dance, and sing, And gar the langest day seem short.
Glossary:
Researcher for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani
Gloaming = twilight
Braw = fine, handsome
Tight = shapely, well-formed
Her lane = herself alone
Na mony feck = not very many
Earse = Gaelic
Fash = worry
Gear = riches, goods of any kind
Play a spring = play a quick tune on a musical instrument;
Syne = then
Gowans = flowers of the daisy, dandelion, hawkweed
Glent = shine, glitter
Ilka = every
Shield = shed
Gar = make
Authorship:
- by Anonymous / Unidentified Author [author's text not yet checked 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), "Ettrick banks", JHW XXXII/3 no. 155, Hob. XXXIa no. 151. [text verified 1 time]
Researcher for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani
This text was added to the website: 2010-01-10
Line count: 32
Word count: 229