Classic Poem

THERE 's some say that we wan,
And some say that they wan,
And some say that nane wan at a', man;
But one thing I'm sure,
That at Sherra-muir,
A battle there was that I saw, man;
And we ran, and they ran,
And they ran, and we ran,
But Florence ran fastest of a', man.

Argyle and Belhaven,
Not frighted like Leven,
Which Rothes and Haddington saw, man;
For they all, with Wightman,
Advanced on the right, man,
While others took flight, being raw, man;
And we ran, and they ran, &c.

Lord Roxburgh was there,
In order to share
With Douglas, who stood not in awe, man;
Volunteerly to ramble
With Lord Loudoun Campbell,
Brave Hay did suffer for a', man;
And we ran, and they ran, &c.

Sir John Schaw, that great knight,
With broadsword most bright,
On horseback he briskly did charge, man;
A hero that's bold,
None could him withhold,
He stoutly encountered the targemen;
And we ran, and they ran, &c.

For the cowardly Whittam,
For fear they should cut him,
Seeing glittering broadswords with a pa', man;
And that in such thrang,
Made Baird edicang,
And from the brave clans ran awa, man;
And we ran, and they ran, &c.

The great Colonel Dow
Gade foremost, I trow,
When Whittam's dragoons ran awa, man;
Except Sandy Baird,
And Naughtan the laird,
Their horse shaw'd their heels to them a', man;
And we ran, and they ran, &c.

Brave Mar and Panmure
Were firm, I am sure,
The latter was kidnapt awa, man;
With brisk men about,
Brave Harry retook
His brother, and laughed at them a', man;
And we ran, and they ran, &c.

Brave Marshall and Lithgow,
And Glengary's pith too,
Assisted by brave Loggia, man,
And Gordons the bright,
So boldly did fight,
That the red-coats took flight and awa, man;
And we ran, and they ran, &c.

Strathmore and Clanronald,
Cried still, " Advance, Donald,"
Till both of these heroes did fa', man;
For there was such hashing,
And broadswords a-clashing,
Brave Forfar himself got a claw, man;
And we ran, and they ran, &c.

Lord Perth stood the storm,
Seaforth but lukewarm,
Kilsyth and Strathallan not slaw, man;
And Hamilton pled
The men were not bred,
For he had no fancy to fa', man;
And we ran, and they ran, &c.

Brave gen'rous Southesk,
Tullibardine was brisk,
Whose father indeed would not draw, man,
Into the same yoke,
Which served for a cloak,
To keep the estate 'twixt them twa, man;
And we ran, and they ran, &c.

Lord Rollo not feared,
Kintore and his beard,
Pitsligo and Ogilvie, a', man,
And brothers Balfours,
They stood the first showers,
Clackmannan and Burleigh did claw, man;
And we ran, and they ran, &c.

But Cleppan fought pretty,
And Strowan the witty,
A poet that pleases us a', man
For mine is but rhyme,
In respect of what's fine,
Or what he is able to draw, man;
And we ran, and they ran, &c.

For Huntly and Sinclair,
They both played the tinkler,
With consciences black as a craw, man;
Some Angus and Fife men,
They ran for their life, man,
And ne'er a Lot's wife there at a', man;
And we ran, and they ran, &c.

Then Laurie the traitor,
Who betrayed his master,
His king and his country and a', man,
Pretending Mar might
Give orders to fight
To the right of the army awa, man;
And we ran, and they ran, &c.

Then Laurie for fear,
Of what he might hear,
Took Drummond's best horse and awa, man,
'Stead of going to Perth,
He crossed the Firth,
Alongst Stirling bridge, and awa, man;
And we ran, and they ran, &c.

To London he press'd,
And there he profess'd
That he behav'd best o' them a', man;
And so, without strife,
Got settled for life,
A hundred a-year to his fa', man;
And we ran, and they ran, &c.

In Borrowstounness
He resides with disgrace,
Till his neck stand in need of a thraw, man,
And then in a tether
He'll swing from a ladder,
And go off stage with a pa', man;
And we ran, and they ran, &c.

Rob Roy there stood watch
On a hill, for to catch
The booty, for aught that I saw, man;
For he ne'er advanc'd,
From the place he was stanc'd,
Till no more was to do there at a', man;
And we ran, and they ran, &c.

So we all took the flight,
And Moubray the wright,
And Lethem the smith was a braw man,
For he took a fit
Of the gout, which was wit,
By judging it time to withdraw, man;
And we ran, and they ran, &c.

And trumplet M'Lean,
Whose breeks were not clean,
Through misfortune he happen'd to fa', man;
By saving his neck,
His trumpet did break,
And came off without musick at a', man;
And we ran, and they ran, &c.

So there such a race was,
As ne'er in that place was,
And as little chace was at a', man;
From each other they run
Without touk of drum,
They did not make use of a paw, man
And we ran, and they ran, &c.

Whether we ran, or they ran,
Or we wan, or they wan,
Or if there was winning at a', man;
There no man can tell,
Save our brave Genarell,
Who first began running of a', man;
And he ran, and they ran, &c.

Wi' the Earl o' Seaforth,
And the Cock o' the North;
But Florence ran fastest of a', man,
Save the laird o' Phinaven,
Who sware to be even
Wi' any general or peer o' them a', man;
And we ran, and they ran, &c.