FLORA AND DONALD, OR, THE MASSACRE OF GLENCOE

O' dark loured (lowered?) the night on the wild distant heather
And the wild raven croaked out the bodings of death
While the moon hid her beams in the clouds out of woe
Disdaining to gaze on the fields of Glencoe

While deep balmy sleep closed each eye in rest
And the chieftan he slumbered with peace in his breast
Ne'er dreaming that hour that fate seemed to show
That bloody and pale, he should lie in Glencoe

But a flash soon denoted - the signal was given
And the thunders of death waked the meteors of heaven
While Flora, poor Flora, she wandered in woe
To seek for her Donald, the pride of Glencoe

O! Sudden a flash on her vision did glare
While a cannon's loud thunder pealed through the air
Awakened ten thousand brave heroes below
And roared through the caverns of mighty Glencoe

The smoke now arose from my dear native glen
With the shrieks of the women, and cries of the men
Naked mothers were shot with their babes as they ran
For the English had risen to murder the clan

O many a warrior that evening was slain
While the blaze of the village gleamed far o'er the plain
A hundred MacDonalds that night were laid low
And their blood stained the heath of their native Glencoe

Then Flora she shrieked while loose hung her hair
O where is my Donald, O tell me, O where?
But the tempest's loud torrent o'er the mountains did blow
And stretched and bloody, he lies in Glencoe

When a sigh of despair then arose from her breast,
And memory soon told her he slumbered at rest,
He slumbers forever, now free from his woe
And left his love, Flora, the pride of Glencoe

Her dark rolling eyes then they kindled in fire,
She fell on his body and then did expire,
No more lovely Flora again felt her woe,
But in death found her Donald, the pride of Glencoe

And now over their heads the green grass it does wave,
And the wild flowers nod over their desolate graves,
And the strangers that pass shed a tear as they go,
For Flora and Donald, the pride of Glencoe.

Source: a broadside on file at the Bodleian Library of the University of Oxford
Printed between 1840 and 1866 by J. Harkness, Printer, 121, Church Street, Prest
on. [2806 c.14(26)]

Note: this should not be confused with a modern (1963) song by Jim McLean, also
called "The Massacre of Glencoe."

@Scottish @murder @historical
filename[ GLENCOM2
NHJ IH MD JRO
mudcat.org

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