Lied der Anne Lyle, D 830

Anne Lyle's song

(Poet's title: Lied der Anne Lyle)

All translations into English that appear on this website, unless otherwise stated, are by Malcolm Wren. You are free to use them on condition that you acknowledge Malcolm Wren as the translator and schubertsong.uk as the source. Unless otherwise stated, the comments and essays that appear after the texts and translations are by Malcolm Wren and are © Copyright.

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Peter Rastl has now identified Wilhelm Adolf Lindau (1774 – 1849) as Schubert’s source for this text, which for a long time was attributed to Sophie Friederike Elise Mayer. Lindau’s translation appeared in Montrose. Eine romantisches Gemählde von Walter Scott, published in Leipzig in 1824. This was a version of Scott’s A Legend of Montrose (1819). In Chapter XXI Scott presents the song of Annot Lyle as translated from the Gaelic by Andrew M’Donald:

"Annot Lyle had now to contemplate the terrible gulf which Allan M’Aulay’s declaration of love and jealousy had made to open around her. It seemed as if she was tottering on the very brink of destruction, and was at once deprived of every refuge, and of all human assistance. She had long been conscious that she loved Menteith dearer than a brother; indeed, how could it be otherwise, considering their early intimacy, the personal merit of the young nobleman, his assiduous attentions,—and his infinite superiority in gentleness of disposition, and grace of manners, over the race of rude warriors with whom she lived? But her affection was of that quiet, timid, meditative character, which sought rather a reflected share in the happiness of the beloved object, than formed more presumptuous or daring hopes. A little Gaelic song, in which she expressed her feelings, has been translated by the ingenious and unhappy Andrew M’Donald; and we willingly transcribe the lines:—

     Wert thou, like me, in life’s low vale,
     With thee how blest, that lot I’d share;
     With thee I’d fly wherever gale
     Could waft, or bounding galley bear.
     But parted by severe decree,
     Far different must our fortunes prove;
     May thine be joy—enough for me
     To weep and pray for him I love.

     The pangs this foolish heart must feel,
     When hope shall be forever flown,
     No sullen murmur shall reveal,
     No selfish murmurs ever own.
     Nor will I through life’s weary years,
     Like a pale drooping mourner move,
     While I can think my secret tears
     May wound the heart of him I love."

Scott appears to have taken the poem from Juliana’s Act III aria in Andrew MacDonald’s opera libretto Love and Loyalty (published in 1791), in which the character is trying to persuade the King of Bohemia not to ennoble and marry her. There are only minor differences:

Graham Johnson points out that there is hardly anything ‘Gaelic’ about this song and he speculates that Scott, as always short of money and pressured by deadlines, simply lifted an unsuitable text from MacDonald’s libretto for his own purposes (with the bare minimum of acknowledgement).

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Original Spelling

Lied der Anne Lyle

Wär'st Du bei mir im Lebensthal',
Gern wollt' ich alles mit Dir theilen;
Mit Dir zu fliehn, wär' leichte Wahl,
Bei mildem Wind, bei Sturmesheulen.
Doch trennt uns harte Schicksalsmacht,
Uns ist nicht gleiches Loos geschrieben;
Mein Glück ist, wenn Dir Freude lacht,
Ich wein' und bete für den Lieben.

Es wird mein thöricht Herz vergeh'n,
Wenn's alle Hoffnung sieht verschwinden;
Doch soll's nie seinen Gram gesteh'n,
Nie mürrisch klagend ihn verkünden.
Und drückt des Lebens Last das Herz,
Soll nie den matten Blick sie trüben,
So lange mein geheimer Schmerz
Ein Kummer wäre für den Lieben.

Confirmed by Peter Rastl with Schubert’s source, Montrose. Ein romantisches Gemählde von Walter Scott, übersetzt von W. A. Lindau. Zweiter Theil. Leipzig, Rein’sche Buchhandlung. 1824, page 271.

Confirmed with The Miscellaneous Works of A. M’Donald; including The Tragedy of Vimonda, and those productions which have appeared under the signature of Matthew Bramble, Esq. with various other compositions by the same author. London: Printed for J. Murray, no. 32, Fleet-Street. M.DCC.XCI. [1791], page 289.

Note: In MacDonald’s opera libretto Love and Loyalty the poem appears in act III as Juliana’s air. The poem was quoted and included by Sir Walter Scott in his novel A Legend of Montrose, with some changes, in the 21st chapter (denominated “Chapter XIII”). Here Annot Lyle sings “a little Gaelic song, [which] has been translated by the ingenious and unhappy Alexander M’Donald”. Scott’s transcription of the poem has been confirmed with his anonymous publication Tales of my Landlord, Third Series. Collected and arranged by Jedediah Cleishbotham, Schoolmaster and Parish-Clerk of Gandercleugh. In four volumes. Vol. IV. Edinburgh: printed for Archibald Constable and Co. Edinburgh; 1819, pages 277-278.

To see an early edition of the text, go to page 271 here: https://books.google.at/books?hl=de&id=zpZKAQAAMAAJ&q=271#v=snippet&q=271&f=false