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Lesley N. Lyr Req: The Highland Widow's Lament (20) Lyr Add: THE HIGHLAND WIDOW'S LAMENT 08 Feb 00


The Highland Widow's Lament from a manuscript "A Choice Collection of Several Scots Miscellanie poems and songs", circa 1715. Notes on it by Burns indicate it refers to the massacre at Glencoe. I have it at Highland Widow's Lament (http://www.contemplator.com/folk2/widow.html).

Oh, I am come to the low countrie,
Och on, och on, och rie!
Without a penny in my purse,
To buy a meal to me.

It was na sae in the Highland hills,
Och on, och on, och rie!
Nae woman in the country wide
Sae happy was as me.

For then I had a score o' kye,
Och on, och on, och rie!
Feeding on yon hills so high,
And giving milk to me.

And there I had threescore o' yowes,
Och on, och on, och rie!
Skipping on yon bonnie knowes,
And casting woo' to me.

I was the happiest of a' the clan,
Sair, sair may I repine;
For Donald was the brawest man,
And Donald he was mine.

Till Charlie Stuart cam' at last,
Sae far to set us free;
My Donald's arm was wanted then
For Scotland and for me.

Their waefu' fate what need I tell?
Right to the wrang did yield:
My Donald and his country fell
Upon Colloden-field.

Och on, O Donald O!
Och on, och on, och rie!
Nae woman in the warld wide
Sae wretched now as me.

^^


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