Glen Collection of printed music > Printed text > Scottish songs > Volume 2

414
THE BATTLE OF SHERIPP-MUIR.
BURNS.
Tune — The Cameronian Rant.
O, CAM ye here the fecht to shun,
Or herd the sheep wi' me, man ;
Or was ye at the Shirra-muh",
And did the battle see, man ?
I saw the battle, sair and teuch,
And reekin red ran mony a sheuch ;
My heart, for fear, ga'e sough for sough,
To hear the thuds, and see the cluds,
O' clans frae wuds, in tartan duds,
Wha glaum'd at kingdoms three, man.
The red-coat lads, wi' black cockades,
To meet them were na slaw, man ;
They rush'd, and push'd, and bluid out-gush'd.
And mony a bouk did fa', man :
The great Argyle led on his files,
I wat they glanced twenty miles ;
They hough'd the clans like nine-pin kyles ;
They hack'd and hash'd, while broadswords clash'd,
And through they dash'd, and hew'd and smash'd.
Till fey men died awa, man.
But had you seen the philabegs,
And skyrin' tartan trews, man,
When in the teeth they daur'd our Whigs
And covenant true-blues, man :
In lines extended lang and large.
When bayonets opposed the targe,
And thousands hasten'd to the charge ;
Wi' Highland wrath, they frae the sheath
Drew blades o' death, till, out o' breath,
They fled like frighted doos, man.