Hail to the chief who in triumph advances! Honoured and blessed be the ever-green Pine! Long may the Tree in his banner that glances, Flourish, the shelter and grace of our line! Heaven send it happy dew, Earth lend it sap anew, Gayly to bourgeon, and broadly to grow, While every highland glen Sends our shout back agen, "Roderigh Vich Alpine dhu, ho! ieroe!" Ours is no sapling, chance-sown by the fountain, Blooming at Beltane, in winter to fade; When the whirlwind has stripped every leaf on the mountain, The more shall Clan-Alpine exult in her shade. Moored in the rifted rock, Proof to the tempest's shock, Firmer he roots him the ruder it blow; Menteith and Breadalbane, then, Echo his praise agen, "Roderigh Vich Alpine dhu, ho! ieroe!" Proudly our pibroch has thrilled in Glen Fruin, And Banochar's groans to our slogan replied; Glen Luss and Ross-dhu, they are smoking in ruin, And the best of Loch-Lomond lie dead on her side. Widow and Saxon maid, Long shall lament our raid, Think of Clan-Alpine with fear and with woe; Lennox and Leven-glen, Shake when they hear agen, "Roderigh Vich Alpine dhu, ho! ieroe!" Row, vassals, row, for the pride of the Highlands! Stretch to your oars for the ever-green Pine! O! that the rose-bud that graces yon islands, Were wreathed in a garland around him to twine! O that some seedling gem, Worthy such noble stem, Honoured and blessed in their shadow might grow; Loud should Clan-Alpine then Ring from her deepmost glen, "Roderigh Vich Alpine dhu, ho! ieroe!"
Confirmed with The Lady of the Lake. A Poem. By Walter Scott, Esq. The fourth edition. Edinburgh: Printed for John Ballantyne and Co. Edinburgh; and Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, and W. Miller, London. 1810, pages 69-70.
Text Authorship:
- by Walter Scott, Sir (1771 - 1832), "Boat Song", appears in The Lady of the Lake, in 2. Canto Second. The Island., no. 19, first published 1810 [author's text checked 2 times against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- [ None yet in the database ]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Adam Storck (1780 - 1822) , "Bootgesang", appears in Das Fräulein vom See, in 2. Zweiter Gesang. Die Insel., first published 1819 CAT DUT FRE ; composed by Franz Peter Schubert.
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2011-09-06
Line count: 40
Word count: 260
Triumph, er naht, Heil, Heil dem Helden, Stets grünende Fichte, gesegnet [sey]1 du! Lang, lang blüh in seinem hellschimmernden Banner O Baum, du Schutz und Schmuck [unsres]2 Stamms! Tränk ihn, Himmel, mit deinem Thau, Spend ihm, Erde, neuen Saft, Daß freudig er knosp', und weit sich verbreite! Und jedes Hochlands Thal Schalle jauchzend zurück: Es lebe Sir Roderick, Clan-Alpines Held! Es ist kein Pflänzchen, das sprießet an Quellen, [Zu Beltane]3 blüht und im Winter verwelkt. Wenn der Sturm verweht hat das Laub vom Gebirge, In seinem Schatten Clan-Alpine jauchzt. Geankert fest [in]4 harten Fels, Sturm stürzt umsonst daran, Fester gewurzelt, je heft'ger der Wind stößt. Menteith und Breadalbane Hallen sein Lob zurück: Es lebe Sir Roderick, Clan-Alpines Held! Stolz hat der Pibroch getönt in Glenfruin, [Und Banochars Stöhnen]5 dem Slogan wiederhallt, Glen-Luss und Ross-Dhu, sie dampfen in Trümmern Und Loch-Lommonds Helden, es traf sie das Schwert. Die Jungfrau des Sachsenvolks, Die Wittwe, sie jammern laut, Sie denken mit Furcht und mit Weh an Clan-Alpine; Lenox und Levenglen Beben, wenn's laut erschallt: Es lebe Sir Roderick, Clan-Alpines Held! Schlaget die Fluth für den Stolz der Hochlande! Rudert mit Macht für den immergrünen Baum! O wenn die Rose, die dort auf der Insel Blühet, sich schläng' ihm zum duftenden Kranz! O wenn ein edles Reiß, Würdig solch [edeln]6 Stamms Freudig in seinem Schatten möcht' wachsen! Laut würde Clan-Alpine Rufen aus tiefster Schlucht: Es lebe Sir Roderick, Clan-Alpines Held!
Confirmed with Das Fräulein vom See. Ein Gedicht in sechs Gesängen von Walter Scott. Aus dem Englischen, und mit einer historischen Einleitung und Anmerkungen von D. Adam Storck, Professor in Bremen. Essen, bei G. D. Bädeker. 1819, pages 67-69; and with Das Fräulein vom See. Ein Gedicht in sechs Gesängen von Walter Scott. Aus dem Englischen, und mit einer historischen Einleitung und Anmerkungen von D. Adam Storck, weiland Professor in Bremen. Zweite, vom Uebersetzer selbst noch verbesserte Auflage. Essen, bei G. D. Bädeker. 1823, pages 63-65.
1 Storck (1823 edition) "seyst"2 Schubert: "unsers"
3 Storck (1823 edition) "Im Lenze"
4 Schubert: "im"
5 Storck (1823 edition) "Banochars Gestöhn"
6 Schubert: "edlen"
Text Authorship:
- by Adam Storck (1780 - 1822), "Bootgesang", appears in Das Fräulein vom See, in 2. Zweiter Gesang. Die Insel., first published 1819 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in English by Walter Scott, Sir (1771 - 1832), "Boat Song", appears in The Lady of the Lake, in 2. Canto Second. The Island., no. 19, first published 1810
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Bootgesang", op. 52 (Sieben Gesänge aus Walter Scotts Fräulein Vom See) no. 3, D 835 (1825), published 1826 [ ttbb quartet with piano ], Matthias Artaria, VN 813, Wien; note: also set in English [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Cançó de vaixell", copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Bootgezang", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Malcolm Wren) , "Boat Song", copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Chant du bateau", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Lau Kanen [Guest Editor] , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2003-11-07
Line count: 40
Word count: 236