Broadside ballad entitled 'The Edinburgh Royal Highland Volunteers'

Transcription

THE   EDINBURGH

ROYAL   HIGHLAND   VOLUNTEERS.

A SONG...... Tune, Killicrankie.

I.

LET Frenchmen threat invasion great,
An' a' their venom shaw, man ;
Their threats are vain, while we remain
A firm an' sicker wa', man :
For gin they land on Scotland's strand,
Gude faith they'll get a fa', man,
Whan they engage the ancient rage
Of CALEDONIA, man.

II.

Whan CALEDON her graith puts on,
Amang her Bairns a', man,
Her faes, I fear, wad ne'er appear
Wi' her to shak' a fa', man.
What tho' they brag they'll gi'e's a jag ?
I wat they're unco slaw, man ;
Right eith they see what they wad dree
In CALEDONIA, man.

III.

Aft SCOTTISH might in unco fright
Has made them rin awa', man,
Tho' weel we ken, o' fechtin' men
They aye for ane had twa, man.
Then shall they daur approach our shore,
An' in our country craw, man ?
No !?or they'll rue that e'er they crew
In CALEDONIA, man.

IV.

Remember weel how WALLACE' steel
His en'mies crowns did claw, man,
An' ROBERT * brave, wi' trusty glaive,
Made tremble ane an' a', man :
Then by their blude, sae pure an' gude,
That thro' your veins does jaw, man,
Arouse in wraith, an' keep frae skaith
Auld CALEDONIA, man.

V.

O, MURRAY ? bauld, thou vet'ran auld,
Thy sword o' mettle draw, man,
An' shaw's the way to clout our fae,
For that is British law, man.
Then, Piper John, screw up your drone,
An' martial pibroughs blaw, man,
While we advance for the defence
Of CALEDONIA, man.

* King Robert Bruce.                                          

? The Lieutenant-Colonel Commandant of the corps.

EXPLANATION   OF   THE   SCOTS   WORDS.

A, all                  Blude, blood            Fae, foe                          Pibroughs, Highland         Skaith, harm, injury
Aft, oft                Brag, boast             Fechtin, fighting                 airs which are play-         Slaw, slow
Amang, among            Claw, scratch                  Frae, from                          ed on the bag-pipes         Twa, two
An', and                Clout,to beat soundly         Gin, if                         when the Caledo-         Unco, very, strange
Ane, one               Craw, to crow                 Glaive (F.), sword              nians go to battle            Wa', wall
Auld, old               Daur, dare             Graith,accoutrements                Rin, to run             Wad, would
Awa', away            Dree, endure, suffer         Gude, good                     Sae, so                Wat, wot, to know
Bairns, children            Drone, the bag-pipes         Jaw, to run rapidly                 Shak' afa', to wrestle         Weel, well
Bauld, bold                  Eith, easy             Jag, to prick                  Shaw, show             Whan, when
Blaw, blow                    Fa', fall               Ken, to know                         Sicker, sure, steady    Wraith, wrath

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