The lovely lass of Inverness

The lovely lass o' Inverness,
  Nae joy nor pleasure can she see;
For e'en and morn she cries, Alas!
  And ay the saut tear blins her e'e:
Drumossie moor, Drumossie day,
  A waefu' day it was to me;
For there I lost my father dear,
  My father dear and brethren three!

Their winding-sheet the bludy clay,
  Their graves are growing green to see;
And by them lies the dearest lad
  That ever blest a woman's e'e!
Now wae to thee, thou cruel lord,
  A bludy man I trow thou be;
For mony a heart thou has made sair
  That ne'er did wrang to thine or thee!

by 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)

by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) , "The lovely lass of Inverness", op. 108 (25 schottische Lieder mit Begleitung von Pianoforte, Violine und Violoncello) no. 8 (1815). [voice, violin, violoncello, piano]

by Robert Franz (1815-1892) , "Die süße Dirn' von Inverness", op. 4 (Zwölf Gesänge) no. 2, published 1845.
by Adolf Jensen (1837-1879) , "Die süße Dirn' von Inverness", op. 49 no. 4, published 1875, from 7 Lieder von Robert Burns, no. 4.

GER German (Anonymous/Unidentified Artist)
FRE French (Isabelle Cecchini)
ITA Italian (Ferdinando Albeggiani)

Added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.

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Die süße Dirn' von Inverness

Die süße Dirn' von Inverness
Wird nun und nimmer wieder froh;
Ihr einz'ger Gang ist in die Mess',
Sie weint und seufzt, und sagt nur: O!
Drumossie Moor, Drumossie Tag;
O bitt'rer Tag, o blut'ger Moor!
Wo kalt und starr mein Vater lag,
Wo ich der Brüder drei verlor.

Ihr Lailach ist der blut'ge Klee,
Ihr Grab ist grün vom ersten Kraut,
Der schmuckste Bursche liegt dabei,
Den Mädchenaugen je geschaut!
Nun wehe Dir, der Du die Schlacht gewanst,
Und sä'test blut'ge Saat!
Manch Herz hast Du betrübt gemacht,
das Dir doch nichts zu Leide tat.

by Ferdinand Freiligrath (1810-1876)

a text in English by Robert Burns (1759-1796) ITA FRE

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

by Robert Franz (1815-1892) , "Die süße Dirn' von Inverness", op. 4 (Zwölf Gesänge) no. 2, published 1845.
by Adolf Jensen (1837-1879) , "Die süße Dirn' von Inverness", op. 49 no. 4, published 1875, from 7 Lieder von Robert Burns, no. 4.

Date added to the website: 2006-04-05.