Tibbie Fowler (Burns, set by J. Haydn) (The Lied and Art Song Texts Page: Texts and Translations to Lieder, mélodies, canzoni, and other classical vocal music)


1. Tibbie Fowler o' the glen,
   There 's o'er mony wooin at her,
[ Tibbie Fowler o' the glen,
   There 's o'er mony wooin at her.]¹
 Wooin at her, pu'in at her,
   Courtin at her, canna get her:
 Filthy elf, it 's for her pelf,
   That a' the lads are wooin at her.

2. Ten cam east, and ten cam west,
   Ten came rowin o'er the water;
 Twa came down the lang dyke side,
   There 's twa and thirty wooin at her.
     Wooin at her, pu'in at her...

3. There 's seven but, and seven ben,
   Seven in the pantry wi' her;
 Twenty head about the door,
   There 's ane and forty wooin at her.
     Wooin at her, pu'in at her...

4. She 's got pendles in her lugs,
   Cockle-shells wad set her better;
 High-heel'd shoon and siller tags,
   And a' the lads are wooin at her.
     Wooin at her, pu'in at her...

5. Be a lassie e'er sae black,
   An she hae the name o' siller,
 Set her upo' Tintock-tap,
   The wind will blaw a man till her.
     Wooin at her, pu'in at her...

6. Be a lassie e'er sae fair,
   An she want the pennie siller;
 A flie may fell her in the air,
   Before a man be even till her.
     Wooin at her, pu'in at her...

View text without footnotes
¹ Haydn: "Seven but, and seven ben, / And mony mair wooing at her."
Glossary:
Mony = many
Ben = seven outside the house and seven in the parlour
Puing = pulling
Elf = hideous creature
Pelf = money, riches
Pendles = jewels, ear-rings
Lugs = ears
Shoon = shoes
Siller = silver

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)

(Franz) Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)

Added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.

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