THE AULD SCOTCH SANGS DEPT.

Today, September 9, 2020, marks the anniversary of the Battle of Flodden, 1513.

• 

• 

• 

Remember the Auld Alliance between Scotland and France? This is one time where the Scots were drawn into a fight with England because of a continental territory dispute. England whomped. 10,000 Scots died — the floor o Scotland. Miss Jean Brodie tells her girls of the tragic loss at Flodden, and of the ghostly rider who appeared at the Mercat Cross beside St. Giles, and read out the list of all the noble familes who had lost sons and fathers, and there was not one family that did not have cause to grieve that day.

• 

• 

• 

Flowers of the Forest is one of the solemn “dead marches” of the British military. The words recall Flodden and the tremendous toll of woe among the Scots.

The Flowers of the Forest

I’ve heard the lilting, at the yowe-milking, 
Lasses a-lilting before dawn o’ day; 
But now they are moaning on ilka green loaning; 
“The Flowers of the Forest are a’ wede away”.
As buchts, in the morning, nae blythe lads are scorning; 
The lasses are lonely and dowie and wae. 
Nae daffin’, nae gabbin’, but sighing and sobbing, 
Ilk ane lifts her leglen, and hies her away.
In hairst, at the shearing, nae youths now are jeering, 
The Bandsters are lyart, and runkled and grey. 
At fair or at preaching, nae wooing, nae fleeching, 
The Flowers of the Forest are a’ wede away.
At e’en, in the gloaming, nae swankies are roaming, 
‘Bout stacks wi’ the lasses at bogle to play. 
But ilk ane sits drearie, lamenting her dearie, 
The Flowers of the Forest are a’ wede away.
Dule and wae for the order sent our lads to the Border; 
The English, for ance, by guile wan the day: 
The Flowers of the Forest, that foucht aye the foremost, 
The prime o’ our land are cauld in the clay.
We’ll hae nae mair lilting, at the yowe-milking, 
Women and bairns are dowie and wae. 
Sighing and moaning, on ilka green loaning, 
The Flowers of the forest are all wede away.

— Jean Elliot, 1762, a lament for the lost King James IV, and the flower of Scottish nobility

Meaning of unusual words: 
yowe=ewe 
ilka=every 
wede=withered 
buchts=cattle pens 
dowie-sad 
wae=woeful 
daffin’=dallying 
gabbin’=talking 
leglen=stool 
hairst=harvest 
bandsters=binders 
lyart=grizzled 
runkled=crumpled 
fleeching=coaxing 
gloaming=twilight 
swankies=young lads 
bogle=peek-a-boo 
dule=mourning clothes