I'd like to revive this thread, as I think it's highly relevant in the light of the need, expressed elsewhere on Mudcat, for good anti-racist songs.
The words as Hamish Henderson wrote them are on Dick Gaughan's website. Scroll down for Dick's opinion of how they should be sung by non-Scottish singers. He says that we should avoid attempting a 'Scottish' accent (good advice). But then he says that Luke Kelly sings it in a Dublin accent. I think Luke Kelly adapts his accent a little: he rolls the 'r's, and pronounces 'friends' as 'freends', which doesn't sound Dublin to me. I haven't heard Pete Seeger sing it. (I may have heard Billy Bragg sing it in his normal singing voice.)

Dick Gaughan also says that we should not attempt to translate unfamiliar words into standard English. That is where I disagree. The general feel of the song may come over, but some of the force of it is lost if we can't understand all the words.

If an adequate, or rather more than merely adequate translation can't be found, perhaps we should regretfully leave this wonderful and stirring song to the Scots.

But is it possible to render Hamish Henderson's words into a more universally recognisable English without losing the undoubted power and vitality of the original?

Anybody care to try?