J. R. Planché: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

Draw the sword

J. R. Planché

“Draw the sword” as printed in The Book of Scottish Song (1843).

J. R. Planché: Collected Lyrics Text 1 1843 · historical text
Public domainScottish songFolk
Complete public-domain lyrics

This text comes from The Book of Scottish Song, edited by Alexander Whitelaw, a historical songbook transcribed on Wikisource and reproduced from the pinned revision linked below.

Verse 1

Draw the sword, Scotland, Scotland, Scotland!

Over mountain and moor hath passed the war-sign:

The pibroch is pealing, pealing, pealing,

Who heeds not the summons is nae son o' thine.

The clans they are gath'ring, gath'ring, gath'ring,

The clans they are gath'ring by loch and by lea;

The banners they are flying, flying, flying,

The banners they are flying that lead to victory.

Draw the sword, Scotland, Scotland, Scotland!

Charge as ye charged in the days o' langsyne;

Sound to the onset, the onset, the onset,

He who but falters is nae son o' thine.

Sheath the sword, Scotland, Scotland, Scotland!

Sheath the sword, Scotland, for dimmed is its shine;

Thy foemen are fleeing, fleeing, fleeing,

And wha kens nae mercy is nae son o' thine!

The struggle is over, over, over,

The struggle is over!—the victory won!

There are tears for the fallen, the fallen, the fallen,

And glory for all who their duty have done!

Sheath the sword, Scotland, Scotland, Scotland!

With thy loved thistle new laurels entwine;

Time shall ne'er part them, part them, part them,

But hand down the garland to each son o' thine.

Credits

Written by J. R. Planché

Words by J. R. Planché. Historical text published in The Book of Scottish Song (1843); public domain. No claim to a modern recording or arrangement.

Source & text edition

The Book of Scottish Song (1843), edited by Alexander Whitelaw, “Draw the sword”

Every contribution in this 1843 anthology predates modern copyright terms by more than a century; any contributor died at least 130 years ago, so the text is in the public domain worldwide (life+70 terms expired no later than 2020).

How to read this historical text and its source

Read the source on Wikisource

View copyright evidence · Transcription terms (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Retrieved 2026-10-12. Line spacing and section labels are adapted for reading. The displayed text follows the linked edition. Editorial notes and abstract artwork are by 52lyrics.
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