Robert Burns: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

The Union

Robert Burns

“The Union” as printed in The Poetical Works of Robert Burns (1887).

Robert Burns: Collected Lyrics Text 415 1887 · historical text
Public domainScottish songSong lyrics
Complete public-domain lyrics

This text comes from The Poetical Works of Robert Burns, a historical songbook transcribed on Wikisource and reproduced from the pinned revision linked below.

Verse 1

Fareweel to a' our Scottish fame,

Fareweel our ancient glory!

Fareweel even to the Scottish name,

Sae fam'd in martial story!

Now Sark rins o'er the Solway sands,

And Tweed rins to the ocean,

To mark where England's province stands;

Such a parcel of rogues in a nation.

Verse 2

What guile or force could not subdue,

Through many warlike ages,

Is wrought now by a coward few,

For hireling traitors' wages.

The English steel we could disdain,

Secure in valour's station,

But English gold has been our bane;

Such a parcel of rogues in a nation!

Verse 3

O would, or I had seen the day

That treason thus could sell us,

My auld grey head had lien in clay,

Wi' Bruce and loyal Wallace!

But pith and power, till my last hour

I'll mak this declaration,

We're bought and sold for English gold:

Such a parcel of rogues in a nation!

Credits

Written by Robert Burns

Words by Robert Burns. Historical text published in The Poetical Works of Robert Burns (1887); public domain. No claim to a modern recording or arrangement.

Source & text edition

The Poetical Works of Robert Burns (1887), “The Union”

Every text in this 1887 collected edition is by Robert Burns (1759-1796), who died more than 230 years ago, so the text is in the public domain worldwide; the edition carries a Wikisource PD-old determination and a pre-1931 United States publication.

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 2026-10-25. 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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