Scots Wha Hae
Robert Burns · 1793 · 24 lines
“Scots, wha hae wi’ Wallace bled”
This is a song, not a poem. Burns wrote it to an existing air and meant it sung, which is why the lines are the length they are.
Printed in older editions as Robert Bruce’s March To Bannockburn.
Printed in Burns's own day as "Robert Bruce's March to Bannockburn", which is how you will still find it in older editions. Burns set Bruce's address to his army to the old tune "Hey Tutti Taiti", and told Thomson that the air had a tradition of being Bruce's march at Bannockburn. He wrote it in 1793, with revolutionary France in every reader's mind, and was careful about who he said that to.
Scots, wha hae wi’ Wallace bled,
Scots, wham Bruce has aften led,
Welcome to your gory bed,
Or to Victorie!
Now’s the day, and now’s the hour;
See the front o’ battle lour;
See approach proud Edward’s power—
Chains and Slaverie!
Wha will be a traitor knave?
Wha can fill a coward’s grave?
Wha sae base as be a Slave?
Let him turn and flee!
Wha, for Scotland’s King and Law,
Freedom’s sword will strongly draw,
Free-man stand, or Free-man fa’,
Let him on wi’ me!
By Oppression’s woes and pains!
By your Sons in servile chains!
We will drain our dearest veins,
But they shall be free!
Lay the proud Usurpers low!
Tyrants fall in every foe!
Liberty’s in every blow!—
Let us Do or Die!
The Scots in this one
9 words, from the glossary Burns's own editions carried. On a wide screen these also sit in the margin beside the line they belong to; on a small one, tap any dotted word.
- wha
- who
- hae
- have
- wi'
- with
- wham
- whom
- aften
- often
- o'
- of
- sae
- so
- flee
- to fly
- fa'
- fall