100 Pipers -- Trad

Guest poem sent in by Suresh Ramasubramanian

(Poem #709) 100 Pipers Wi' a hundred pipers, an' a', an' a', Wi' a hundred pipers, an' a', an' a', We'll up an' gie them a blaw, a blaw, Wi' a hundred pipers, an' a', an' a'. O it's owre the border awa', awa' It's owre the border awa', awa', We'll on an' we'll march to Carlisle ha' Wi' its yetts, its castle an' a', an a'. Chorus: Wi' a hundred pipers, an' a', an' a', Wi' a hundred pipers, an' a', an' a', We'll up an' gie them a blaw, a blaw Wi' a hundred pipers, an' a', an' a'. O! our sodger lads looked braw, looked braw, Wi' their tartan kilts an' a', an' a', Wi' their bonnets an' feathers an' glitt'rin' gear, An' pibrochs sounding loud and clear. Will they a' return to their ain dear glen? Will they a' return oor Heilan' men? Second sichted Sandy looked fu' wae. An' mithers grat when they march'd away. Chorus O! wha' is foremos o' a', o' a', Oh wha' is foremost o' a', o' a', Bonnie Charlie the King o' us a', hurrah! Wi' his hundred pipers an' a', an ' a'. His bonnet and feathers he's waving high, His prancing steed maist seems to fly, The nor' win' plays wi' his curly hair, While the pipers play wi'an unco flare. Chorus The Esk was swollen sae red an' sae deep, But shouther to shouther the brave lads keep; Twa thousand swam owre to fell English ground An' danced themselves dry to the pibroch's sound. Dumfoun'er'd the English saw, they saw, Dumfoun'er'd they heard the blaw, the blaw, Dumfoun'er'd they a' ran awa', awa', Frae the hundred pipers an' a', an' a'. Chorus -- Trad

A fantastic song (traditional scottish reel, to the tune of bagpipes) about
Prince Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie) (The Young Pretender)
and his 1745 Jacobite rebellion against the English, with the support of
several highland clans.

The rebellion was destined to abject failure, and the prince returned to his
(rather comfortable) exile in France.

Several books by Sir Walter Scott (most notably Rob Roy) and R.L.
Stevenson's Kidnapped (and its sequel Catriona) are set around this time -
read 'em for more.

Oh by the way, this is the tune which inspired Seagrams to call their
scotch '100 Pipers'.

nb:

fu' wae=full of woe
grat=cried  (present tense - greet)

-suresh