Battle of Sheriff-Muir 1

There's some say that we wan,

And some say that they wan,

And some say that nane wan at a', man;

But ae thing I'm sure,

That at Sheriff-muir

A battle there was, that I saw, man;

And we ran, and they ran; and they ran, and we ran;

And we ran, and they ran awa', man.

Brave Argyle and Belhaven,

Not like frighted leven,

Which Rothes and Haddington saw, man;

For they all, with Wigbtman,

Advanced on the right, man,

While others took flight, being raw, man.

Lord Roxburgh was there,

In order to share

With Douglas, who stood not in awe, man,

Volunteerly to ramble

With Lord Loudon Campbell;

Brave Hay did suffer for a', man.

Sir John Shaw, that great knight,

With broadsword most bright,

On horseback he briskly did charge, man;

An hero that's bold,

None could him withhold,

He stoutly encounter'd the targemen.

For the cowardly Whittam,

For fear they should cut him,

Seeing glittering broadswords with a pa', man

And that in such thrang,

Made Baird aid-de-camp,

And from the brave clans ran awa', man.

The great Colonel Dow,

Gaed foremost, I trow,

When Whittam's dragoons ran awa', man;

Except Sandy Baird,

And Naughton, the laird,

Their horse show'd their heels to them a', man.

Brave Mar and Panmure

Were firm, I am sure;

The latter was kidnapp'd awa', man;

But with brisk men about,

Brave Harry retook

His brother, and laugh'd at them a', man.

Grave Marshall and Lithgow,

And Glengary's pith, too,

Assisted by brave Logie A'mon',

And Gordons the bright,

Sae boldly did fight,

The red-coats took flight and awa', man.

Strathmore and Clanronald

Cried stil, "Advance, Donald!"

Till both of these heroes did fa', man;

For there was sic hashing.

And broadswords a-clashing.

Brave Forfar himsell got a claw, man.

Lord Perth stood the storm,

Seaforth but lukewarm,

Kilsyth and Strathallan not slaw, man;

And Hamilton pled

The men were not bred,

For he had no fancy to fa', man.

Brave, generous Southesk,

Tullibardine was brisk,

Whose father, indeed, would not draw, man.

Into the same yoke,

Which served for a cloak,

To keep the estate 'twixt them twa, man.

Lord Rollo, not fear'd,

Kintore and his beard.

Pitsligo and Ogilvie a', man.

And brothers Balfours,

They stood the first stours;

Clackmannan and Burleigh did claw, man.

But Cleppan acted pretty,

And Strowan, the witty,

A poet that pleases us a', man;

For mine is but rhyme,

In respect of what's fine,

Or what he is able to draw, man.

For Huntly and Sinclair,

They baith play'd the tinkler,

With consciences black like a craw, man;

Some Angus and Fife men,

They ran for their life, man,

And ne'er a Lot's wife there at a', man!

Then Lawrie, the traitor,

Who betray'd his master,

His king, and his country, and a', man.

Pretending Mar might

Give order to fight

To the right of the army awa', man;

Then Lawrie, for fear

Of what he might hear,

Took Drummond's best horse, and awa', man;

'Stead of going to Perth,

He crossed the Firth,

Alongst Stirling Bridge, and awa', man.

To London he press'd,

And there he address'd,

That he behaved best o' them a', man;

And there, without strife,

Got settled for life,

An hundred a-year to his fa', man.

In Borrowstounness,

He rides with disgrace,

Till his neck stand in need of a draw, man;

And then in a tether,

He'll swing from a ladder,

And go off the stage with a pa', man.

Rob Roy stood watch

On a hill, for to catch

The booty, for ought that I saw, man,

For he ne'er advanced

From the place he was stanced,

Till no more to do there at a', man.

So we all took the flight,

And Mowbray the wright,

But Lethem, the smith, was a braw man,

For he took the gout,

Which truly was wit,

By judging it time to withdraw, man.

And trumpet M'Lean,

Whose breeks were not clean,

Through misfortune he happen'd to fa', man;

By saving his neck,

His trumpet did break,

Came aff without music at a', man.

So there such a race was,

As ne'er in that place was,

And as little chase was at a', man;

From other they ran,

Without touk of drum,

They did not make use of a pa', man.

Whether we ran, or they ran,

Or we wan, or they wan,

Or if there was winning at a', man,

There's no man can tell,

Save our brave general,

Wha first began running awa', man.

Wi' the Earl o' Seaforth,

And the Cock o' the North;

But Florence ran fastest ava, man,

Save the laird o' Phineven,

Who swore to be even

Wi' any general or peer o' them a', man.

And we ran, and they ran; and they ran, and we ran;

And we ran, and they ran awa', man.