Utah Scottish Association

The Flowers of the Forest

  I've heard the lilting, at the yowe-milking,
  Lasses a-lilting before dawn o' day;
  But now they are moaning on ilka green loaning;
  "The Flowers of the Forest are a' wede away".

  As buchts, in the morning, nae blythe lads are scorning;
  The lasses are lonely and dowie and wae.
  Nae daffin', nae gabbin', but sighing and sobbing,
  Ilk ane lifts her leglen, and hies her away.

  In hairst, at the shearing, nae youths now are jeering,
  The Bandsters are lyart, and runkled and grey.
  At fair or at preaching, nae wooing, nae fleeching,
  The Flowers of the Forest are a' wede away.

  At e'en, in the gloaming, nae swankies are roaming,
  'Bout stacks wi' the lasses at bogle to play.
  But ilk ane sits drearie, lamenting her dearie,
  The Flowers of the Forest are a' wede away.

  Dule and wae for the order sent our lads to the Border;
  The English, for ance, by guile wan the day:
  The Flowers of the Forest, that foucht aye the foremost,
  The prime o' our land are cauld in the clay.

  We'll hae nae mair lilting, at the yowe-milking,
  Women and bairns are dowie and wae.
  Sighing and moaning, on ilka green loaning,
  The Flowers of the forest are all wede away.

  Meaning of unusual words:
  yowe=ewe
  ilka=every
  wede=withered
  buchts=cattle pens
  dowie-sad
  wae=woeful
  daffin'=dallying
  gabbin'=talking
  leglen=stool
  hairst=harvest
  bandsters=binders
  lyart=grizzled
  runkled=crumpled
  fleeching=coaxing
  gloaming=twilight
  swankies=young lads
  bogle=peek-a-boo
  dule=mourning clothes

In memory of David Barclay.

Utah Scottish Association P.O. Box 57476, Salt Lake City, Utah 84157-0476 info@utahscots.org