Thursday, February 18, 2010

Alba Go Bragh!!!

Alright! A tune from Scotland this time!

Cope sent a challenge fae Dunbar
"Charlie meet me on hin daur
I'll learn ye the airt o' war
If ye meet me in the mornin'"

Hey Johnny Cope are ye wauken yet?
Or are your drums a-beatin' yet?
If ye were wauken I wad wait
Tae gang tae the cauls in the mornin'

When Charlie looked the letter upon
He drew his sword its scabbard from
"Come follow me my merry men
And we'll meet Johnny Cope in the mornin'"

Hey Johnny Cope are ye wauken yet?
Or are your drums a-beatin' yet?
If ye were wauken I wad wait
Tae gang tae the cauls in the mornin'

"Now Johnny be as good as your word
And let us try baith fire and sword
And dinnae flee like a frightened bird
That's chased fae it's nest in the mornin'"

Hey Johnny Cope are ye wauken yet?
Or are your drums a-beatin' yet?
If ye were wauken I wad wait
Tae gang tae the cauls in the mornin'

When Johnny Cope he heard o' this
He taut it wouldna' be amiss
Tae have a horse in readiness
Tae flee awa' in the mornin'"

Hey Johnny Cope are ye wauken yet?
Or are your drums a-beatin' yet?
If ye were wauken I wad wait
Tae gang tae the cauls in the mornin'

"Fie now Johnny get up and rin'
The Highland bagpipes mak' a din
'Tis best tae sleep in a hale skin
Fer it'll be a bloody mornin'"

Hey Johnny Cope are ye wauken yet?
Or are your drums a-beatin' yet?
If ye were wauken I wad wait
Tae gang tae the cauls in the mornin'

When Johnny Cope tae Dunbar came
They spiered at him "Whaur's a' yer men?"
"The de'il confound me, gin ah ken,
Fer I left them all in the mornin'"

Hey Johnny Cope are ye wauken yet?
Or are your drums a-beatin' yet?
If ye were wauken I wad wait
Tae gang tae the cauls in the mornin'

"Now Johnny troth ye wernae blate
Tae come wi' the news of your ain defeat
An' leave your men in sic' a strait
Sae early in the mornin'"

Hey Johnny Cope are ye wauken yet?
Or are your drums a-beatin' yet?
If ye were wauken I wad wait
Tae gang tae the cauls in the mornin'

"In faith, quo Johnny, I got sic' flegs
Wi' their claymores and philabegs
Gin I face them de'il brak my legs
So I wish you a' good mornin'"

Hey Johnny Cope are ye wauken yet?
Or are your drums a-beatin' yet?
If ye were wauken I wad wait
Tae gang tae the cauls in the mornin'




gin - if
daur - dare
waukin' - awake
chairlie - charlie
thocht - thought
spiered - asked
de'il confoond me gin I ken - the devil confound me if I knew


That last bit is a mini-glossary fer those of you who don't know the more obscure bits of Scottish lingo. I'm not going to bother translating Ye or Fae, or any other obvious ones.

The song can be seen/heard here, although this is not the exact same version as the lyrics posted here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygCQwx8u0d4&feature=related

My Driver's Ed final is tomorrow, so I may not respond to any comments until Saturday. Then again, there may not BE any comments till Saturday, who knows? :)

3 comments:

  1. "[O]n hin daur" I always thought was a place. (Maybe a hill or something?) What does it mean?

    On being on, and daur being dare, but what be hin?

    ReplyDelete
  2. I think that means one of two things, a place, as you first assumed, or hin duar meand "On a Dare" As in, "I dare ye tae fight me ye great lump O-"
    Yeah...somthin along those lines:)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm still trying to figure out why in all Irish and Scottish folk songs and such, always have so many names? Seriously.
    Who cares about little Ned and his best friends pig named Jimmy?
    HAHAHA.

    ;)

    ReplyDelete