When the sheep are in the fauld, and the kye at hame
And a‘ the warld to rest are gane
The waes o‘ my heart fa‘ in showers frae my e’e
While my gudeman lies sound by me
Young Jamie lo’ed me weel, and sought me for his bride
But saving a croun he had naething else beside
To make the croun a pund, young Jamie gaed to sea
And the croun and the pund were baith for me
He hadna been awa‘ a week but only twa
When my father brak his arm, and the cow was stown awa
My mother she fell sick,—and my Jamie at the sea—
And auld Robin Gray came a-courtin‘ me
My father couldna work, and my mother couldna spin
I toil’d day and night, but their bread I couldna win
Auld Rob maintain’d them baith, and wi‘ tears in his e’e
Said, ‚Jennie, for their sakes, O, marry me
My heart it said nay; I look’d for Jamie back
But the wind it blew high, and the ship it was a wrack
His ship it was a wrack—Why didna Jamie dee?
Or why do I live to cry, Wae ’s me?
My father urged me sair: my mother didna speak
But she look’d in my face till my heart was like to break
They gi’ed him my hand, tho‘ my heart was in the sea
Sae auld Robin Gray he was gudeman to me
I hadna been a wife a week but only four
When mournfu‘ as I sat on the stane at the door
I saw my Jamie’s wraith,—for I couldna think it he
Till he said, ‚I’m come hame to marry thee
O sair, sair did we greet, and muckle did we say
We took but ae kiss, and we tore ourselves away
I wish that I were dead, but I’m no like to dee
And why was I born to say, Wae ’s me
I gang like a ghaist, and I carena to spin
I daurna think on Jamie, for that wad be a sin
But I’ll do my best a gude wife aye to be
For auld Robin Gray he is kind unto me
Text: Lady Anne Lindsay (1750–1825) „Auld Robin Gray“, 1772.
ins Deutsche übersetzt von Christoph August Tiedge, 1804