Ye banks and braes (Burns, set by R. Quilter) (The Lied and Art Song Texts Page: Texts and Translations to Lieder, mélodies, canzoni, and other classical vocal music)


Ye banks and braes o' bonnie Doon,
how can ye bloom sae fresh and fair?
How can ye chaunt, ye little birds,
and I sae weary, fu' o' care?

Thou'lt break my heart, thou warbling bird 
that wantons thro' the flower thorn; 
thou minds me o' departed joys, 
departed, never to return.

Oft hae I roved by bonnie Doon,
to see the rose and woodbine twine
and ilk-a bird sang o' its love
and fondly sae did I o' mine.

Wi' lightsome heart I pu'd a rose
fu' sweet upon its thorny tree;
but my fause lover stole the rose
and oh, he left the thorn wi' me.

Input by John Versmoren

Authorship

Robert Burns (1759-1796)

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

Roger Quilter (1877-1953)

Set in a modified version by

Amy Marcy Cheney Beach (1867-1944)

Three Songs

Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)

Set in a modified version by

David Arditti (1964-)

Burns Songs

Date added to the website: 2004-07-11.

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