| Author | Topic: Add: The Battle of Harlaw | |
| dmcg | Posted - 06 Jul 03 - 07:20 am | |
The Battle of Harlow As I cam in by Denniedeer An' doon by Netherha', The was fifty thousand Hielandmen A-marchin' to Harlaw. (Chorus) Wi' my dirrum doo dirrum doo daddie dirrum day. As I cam on and further on And doon by Balquhain, It's there I met Sir James the Rose And wi' him Sir John the Graham. "Oh cam ye frae the Highlands man, Oh cam ye a' the wey? Saw ye McDonald and his men As they cam in frae Skye?" "Yes we cam frae the Highlands man An' we cam a' the wey. And we saw McDonald and his men As they cam in frae Skye." "Oh was ye near McDonald's men? Did ye there numbers see? Come twll me Johnnie Hielandman What micht their numbers be?" "yes was was near and near eneuch And we their numbers saw. There was fifty thousand Hielandmen A-machin' to Harlaw." "Gin that be true," says James the Rose, "Will come nae muckle speed. We'll cry upon our merry men An' turn oor horses head." "Oh na, Oh ma", say John the Graham, "That thing can never be. The gallant Grahams were never beat We'll try what we can dee." As I cam on and further on And doon and by Harlaw, They fell fu close on ilka side. Sic strokes ye never saw. The fell fu' close on ilka side, Sic strokes ye never saw, For ilka sword gaed clash for clash At the battle o' Harlow. The Hielandmen wi' their lang swords They laid on us fu' sair And they drove back oor merry men Three acres bredth and mair. Brave Forbes to his brother said, "Oh brither don't ye see. They've beat us back on ilka side And we'll be forced to flee." "Oh na, oh na," my brother said, "That thing can never be. You'll take your sword into your hand And ye'll come on wi' me." Then back to back the brithers twa Gaed in among the throng And they laid doon the Hielandmen Wi' swords baith sharp and lang. The first aw stroke that Forbes struck, He gart McDonald reel And the neist ae stroke the Forbes struck, The brave McDonald fell. And siccan a Pitlarichie I'm sure ye never saw, As was among the Hielandmen When they saw McDonald fa'. And when they saw that he was dead, They turned and ran awa' And they turned him in Leggart's den A mile abeen Harlaw. Some rade, some ran and some did gang They were o' sma' record But Forbes and his merry men They slew them a' the road. On Monoday at mornin' The battle it began On Saturday at floamin' Ye'd kentna who had won. Gin onybody spier ar you For them that cam awa' Ye can tell them plain enough, They're sleepin' at Harlaw. Source: Milner D and Kaplan P, 1983, Songs of England, Ireland and Scotland, Oak, New York Notes: Milner gives the following for the source:
This leaves it unclear whether the tune is from Grieg or not. Child: 163 Database entry is here. | ||
| Malcolm Douglas |
Posted - 06 Jul 03 - 01:29 pm | |
Roud 2861 Child 163. The text was noted from J. W. Spence, April 1906. Greig-Duncan Collection I, No.112C, 305-6. Bronson 163:11. The tune is from Isaac Troup, 11th September 1907. Greig-Duncan I, No.112B, 303-4. Bronson 163:8. It has been transposed down seven intervals here. For an interesting study of the historical basis of the ballad, see David Buchan, History and Harlaw, in E. B. Lyle, Ballad Studies, 1976, 29-40. | ||