Bessy Bell and Mary Gray
Language:
English
O Bessy Bell and Mary Gray,
They are twa bonie lasses,
They biggit a bower on yon burn brae
And theekit it o'er wi' rashes.
Fair Bessy Bell I loo'd yestreen,
And thought I ne'er could alter:
But Mary Gray's twa pawky een,
Soon gar my fancy falter.
Now Bessy's hair's like a lint-tap;
She smiles like a May morning.
When Phoebus starts frae Thetis' lap,
The hills with rays adorning:
White is her neck, saft is her hand,
Her waist and feet's fu' genty;
With ilka grace she can command;
Her lips, O wow! they're dainty.
And Mary's locks are like the craw,
Her een like diamond glances;
She's ay sae clean, red up and braw,
She kills whene'er she dances:
Blythe as a kid, with wit at will,
She blooming, tight, and tall is;
And guides her airs sae gracefu' still,
O Jove, she's like thy Pallas.
Dear Bessy Bell and Mary Gray,
Ye unco sair oppress us;
Our fancies jee between you twae,
Ye are sic bonie lasses:
Waes me! for baith I canna get,
To ane by law we're stinted;
Then I'll draw cuts, and tak' my fate,
And be with ane contented.
Glossary
Biggit = built
Brae = steep or sloping bank of a river
Theekit = thatched
Pawky een = coquettish eyes
Gar = make, force
Lint-tap = flax on the distaff
Genty = small and handsome
Ilka = every
Red up = well dressed
Braw = fine
Unco = very
Jee = move
Stinted = restricted
Input by Ferdinando Albeggiani
Authorship
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text),
listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)
Date added to the website: 2009-09-02.
| Gentle Reminder |
This project is not funded.
If you found
the information here useful,
please consider making a donation. Your gift is greatly appreciated!
- Emily
I also have a wishlist at Amazon.ca.
|
|
Search/Shop for
Sheet music:
Search sheetmusicplus.com for
Bessy Bell and Mary Gray,
Art song ,
Lieder,
chansons, or works for solo voice
Search musicroom.com for
Bessy Bell and Mary Gray,
vocal/choral music
CDs:
Search amazon.com for
Bessy Bell and Mary Gray,
art song,
Lieder, or
chansons
Search amazon.ca for
Bessy Bell and Mary Gray,
art song,
Lieder, or
chansons
Books:
The Art of the Song Recital [amazon.com]
The Book of Lieder: The Original Texts of Over 1000 Songs [amazon.com]
Search amazon.com for
art song, Lieder, or
chansons
Search amazon.ca for
art song,
lieder, or
chansons
|