Classic Poem

BEING NEW WORDS TO AN AULD SPRING

PART FIRST

The news has flown frae mouth to mouth,
The North for ance has banged the South;
The deil a Scotsman 's die o' drouth,
Carle, now the King 's come!

CHORUS

Carle, now the King 's come!
Carle, now the King 's come!
Thou shalt dance, and I will sing,
Carle, now the King 's come!

Auld England held him lang and fast;
And Ireland had a joyfu' cast;
But Scotland's turn is come at last:
Carle, now the King 's come:

Auld Reekie, in her rokelay gray,
Thought never to have seen the day;
He 's been a weary time away —
But, Carle, now the King 's come!

She 's skirling frae the Castle-hill;
The Carline's voice is grown sae shrill,
Ye 'll hear her at the Canon-mill:
Carle, now the King's come!

" Up, bairns!" she cries, " baith grit and sma",
And busk ye for the weapon-shaw!
Stand by me, and we 'll bang them a' —
Carle, now the King 's come!

" Come from Newbattle's ancient spires,
Bauld Lothian, with your knights and squires,
And match the mettle of your sires:
Carle, now the King 's come!

" You 're welcome hame, my Montagu!
Bring in your hand the young Buccleuch;
I 'm missing some that I may rue:
Carle, now the King 's come;

" Come, Haddington, the kind and gay,
You 've graced my causeway mony a day;
I 'll weep the cause if you should stay:
Carle, now the King 's come!

" Come, premier Duke, and carry doun
Frae yonder craig his ancient croun;
It 's had a lang sleep and a soun"
But, Carle, now the King 's come!

" Come, Athole, from the hill and wood,
Bring down your clansmen like a cloud;
Come, Morton, show the Douglas' blood:
Carle, now the King 's come!

" Come, Tweeddale, true as sword to sheath;
Come, Hopetoun, feared on fields of death;
Come, Clerk, and give your bugle breath;
Carle, now the King 's come!

" Come, Wemyss, who modest merit aids;
Come, Rosebery, from Dalmeny shades;
Breadalbane, bring your belted plaids;
Carle, now the King 's come!

" Come, stately Niddrie, auld and true,
Girt with the sword that Minden knew;
We have o'er few such lairds as you:
Carle, now the King 's come!

" King Arthur 's grown a common crier,
He 's heard in Fife and far Cantire:
" Fie, lads, behold my crest of fire! "
Carle, now the King 's come!"

" Saint Abb roars out, " I see him pass,
Between Tantallon and the Bass! "
Calton, get out your keeking-glass,
Carle, now the King 's come!"

The Carline stopped; and, sure I am,
For very glee had ta'en a dwam,
But Oman helped her to a dram.
Cogie, now the King 's come!

CHORUS

Cogie, now the King 's come!
Cogie, now the King 's come!
I 'se be fou', and ye 's be toom,
Cogie, now the King 's come!

PART SECOND

A Hawick gill of mountain dew
Heised up Auld Reekie's heart, I trow,
It minded her of Waterloo:
Carle, now the King 's come!

Again I heard her summons swell,
For, sic a dirdum and a yell,
It drowned Saint Giles's jowing bell:
Carle, now the King 's come!

" My trusty Provost, tried and tight,
Stand forward for the Good Town's right,
There 's waur than you been made a knight:
Carle, now the King 's come!

" My reverend Clergy, look ye say
The best of thanksgivings ye ha'e,
And warstle for a sunny day —
Carle, now the King 's come!

" My Doctors, look that you agree,
Cure a' the town without a fee;
My Lawyers, dinna pike a plea:
Carle, now the King 's come!

" Come forth each sturdy Burgher's bairn,
That dints on wood or clanks on airn,
That fires the o'en, or winds the pirn —
Carle, now the King 's come!

" Come forward with the Blanket Blue,
Your sires were loyal men and true,
As Scotland's foemen oft might rue:
Carle, now the King 's come!

" Scots downa loup, and rin and rave,
We 're steady folks and something grave,
We 'll keep the causeway firm and brave:
Carle, now the King 's come!

" Sir Thomas, thunder from your rock,
Till Pentland dinnles wi' the shock,
And lace wi' fire my snood o' smoke:
Carle, now the King 's come!

" Melville, bring out your bands of blue,
A' Louden lads, baith stout and true,
With Elcho, Hope, and Cockburn, too:
Carle, now the King 's come!

" And you, who on yon bluidy braes
Compelled the vanquished Despot's praise,
Rank out, rank out, my gallant Greys:
Carle, now the King 's come!

" Cock of the North, my Huntly bra",
Where are you with the Forty-twa?
Ah! waes my heart that ye 're awa':
Carle, now the King 's come!

" But yonder come my canty Celts,
With durk and pistols at their belts,
Thank God, we 've still some plaids and kilts:
Carle, now the King 's come!

" Lord, how the pibrochs groan and yell!
Macdonell 's ta'en the field himsell,
Macleod comes brauking o'er the fell:
Carle, now the King 's come!

" Bend up your bow each Archer spark,
For you 're to guard him light and dark;
Faith, lads, for ance ye 've hit the mark:
Carle, now the King 's come!

" Young Errol, take the sword of state,
The Sceptre, Pane-Morarchate;
Knight Mareschal, see ye clear the gate:
Carle, now the King 's come!

" Kind cummer, Leith, ye 've been misset,
But dinna be upon the fret:
Ye 'se hae the bandsel of him yet,
Carle, now the King 's come!

" My daughters, come with een sae blue,
Your garlands weave, your blossoms strew;
He ne'er saw fairer flowers than you:
Carle, now the King 's come!

" What shall we do for the propine:
We used to offer something fine,
But ne'er a groat 's in pouch of mine:
Carle, now the King 's come!

" Deil care — for that I 'se never start,
We 'll welcome him with Highland heart;
Whate'er we have he 's get a part:
Carle, now the King 's come!

" I 'll show him mason-work this day:
Nane of your bricks of Babel clay,
But towers shall stand till Time 's away:
Carle, now the King 's come!

" I 'll show him wit, I 'll show him lair,
And gallant lads and lasses fair,
And what wad kind heart wish for mair?
Carle, now the King 's come!

" Step out, Sir John, of projects rife,
Come win the thanks of an auld wife,
And bring him health and length of life:
Carle, now the King 's come!"