LL-L "History" 2003.01.03 (07) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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 A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
 L=Limburgish LS=Lowlands Saxon (Low German) S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic
                  V=(West)Flemish Z=Zeelandic (Zeêuws)
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From: Sandy Fleming <sandy at fleemin.fsnet.co.uk>
Subject: LL-L "History" 2003.01.03 (04) [E/S]

> From: R. F. Hahn <admin at lowlands-l.net>
> Subject: History
>
> Sandy:
>
> > This was recorded in a lengthy (and rather fantastic) ballad, from which
> > Jean Elliot extracted and adapted verses to create the well-known song
> > "The Flouers o the Forest" ("The Forest" being a local name for
> > Selkirkshire) which concentrates on the aftermath of the battle - the
> > depletion of young men from the population of the Forest:
>
> Is this sung to the wellknown tune "The Flouers o the Forest" often played
> by a lone piper on solemn (particularly mourning) occasions?
> http://www.world-wide-whisky.de/Scottish/flowers2.mid
> http://www.whitestick.co.uk/midi/flowers.mid
>
> I have slightly different lyrics:
>
> Scottish I've heard them liltin',
> At the ewe milkin,'
> Lasses a-liltin' before dawn of day.
> Now there's a moanin',
> On ilka green loanin'.
> The flowers of the forest are a' wede away.

I don't know the tune, but it's on my list for learning!

My version is just the typically "improved" Scots that I put
everything into for presentation on ScotsteXt (though my
song collection isn't up yet). "Boughts" certainly seems a
bizarre and misleading way to spell "buchts" [bVxts], so
you're better off with my version!

For comparison here's the original ballad, called "Flodden Field".
It's from David Herd's collection (1776), and again the spelling is
improved.

FRAE Spey to the border, was peace an guid order,
The sway o oor monarch was mild as the May,
Peace he adored, whilk Soudrons abhorred,
Oor mairches they plunder, oor wardens they slay.

'gainst LOUIS oor ally their HENRY did sally,
Tho JAMES but in vain did his herauld advance,
Renooncin alliance, an denooncin defiance
To Soudrons if langer abidin in France.

Mony were the omens oor ruin was comin,
E'er the flouer o oor nation was ca'd to array:
Oor king at devotion St Andra did caution,
An siched as wi sorrow he to him did say,

Sir, in this expedition you maun have ambition;
Frae the company o a' weemen you thoo'd keep awa.
When the spectre this declared, it quickly disappeared;
But where it retired nae man could espy.

The flouers o the nation were caa'd on their station,
Wi valiant inclination their banner to display;
To Burrow-Muir resortin, their richt for supportin,
An there rendevouzin, encamped did lay.

But anither bad omen, that vengeance was comin,
At midnicht, in Edinburgh, a voice lood did cry,
As heraulds, in their station, wi lood proclamation,
Did name a' oor barons in England to dee.

These words the demon spak, at the throne o Plotcock,
It chairged their appearin, appyntin the day.
The provost, in its hearin, the summons greatly fearin,
Appealed to his Makker, the fame did deny.

At this was mony grieved, as mony disbelieved;
But forward they mairched to the destiny:
Frae thence to the border they mairched in guid order;
The Merse men an Forest they jined the array.

England's invasion, it was their persuasion,
To mak restitution for their cruelty.
But O fatal Flodden! there cam the woe doun;
An oor reyal nation was brocht to decay.

Efter spylin an burnin, mony hameward returnin,
Wi oor king still the nobles an vassals abide.
To SURRY'S prood vauntin he answers but dauntin;
The king wad await him whatever betide.

The English advanced to where they were stanced;
Hauf-entrenched bi natur, the field it sae lay;
To fecht the English fearin, an shamed their retirin:
But alace! unperceived was their subtilty.

Oor hieland battalion, sae forward an valiant,
They brak frae their ranks, an they rushed on to slay:
Wi hackin an flashin, an broad swords a-dashin,
Throu the front o the English they cut a full wey.

But alace to their ruin! an ambush pursuin,
They were surroonded wi numbers too hiech:
The Merse men an Forest, they suffered the sairest
Upon the left wing was enclosed the same wey.

Oor men into pairties, the battle in three quarters,
Upon oor main body the marksmen did play:
The spearmen were surroonded, an a' was confoonded;
The fatal devastation o that waefu day!

Oor nobles a' ensnared, oor king he wasna spared;
For o that fate he shared, an wadna run awa:
The hale wis intercepted, that very few escaped
The fatal conflagration o that waefu day.

This set the hale nation into grief an vexation:
The widaes did weep, an the maidens did say,
Why tarries my lover? the battle's shuirly ower?
Is there nane left to tell us the fates o the day?

I've heard a liltin at oor yowes milkin,
Lasses a-liltin afore brak o day:
But nou there's a moanin on ilka green loanin,
Since oor bra foresters are a' wed away.

At buchts i' the mornin nae blythe lads are scornin:
The lasses are lanely, dowie, an wae:
Nae daffin, nae gabbin, but sichin an sabbin,
Ilk ane lifts her leglen, an hies her away.

At e'en in the gloamin nae swankeys are roamin,
Mang stacks wi the lasses at bogle to play;
But ilk ane sits dreary, lamentin her deary,
The flouers o the Forest that are wed away.

In hairst at the shearin nae younkers are jeerin:
The bansters are lyart, runkled, an gray.
At sairs nor at preachin, nae wooin, nae fleetchin,
Since oor braw Foresters are a' wed away.

O duil for the order sent oor lads to the border!
The English for ance bi guile got the day:
The flouers o the Forest that aye shone the foremaist,
The prime o oor land lies cauld in the clay.

We'll hear nae mair liltin at oor yowes milkin:
The weemen an bairns are dowie an wae,
Sichin an moanin on ilka green loanin,
Since oor braw foresters are a' wed away.

I've seen the smilin o fortune beguilin;
I've felt a' her favours, an found her decay.
Sweet is her blessin an kind her caressin;
But nou it is fled, it is fled far away.

I've seen the forest adorned the foremaist
Wi flouers o the fairest baith pleasant an gay:
Sae bonny was their bloomin, their scent the air perfumin;
But nou they are withered an a' gane away.

I've seen the mornin wi gowd the hills adornin,
An lood tempests stormin afore mid-day:
I have seen Tweed's siller streams shinin i' the sunny beams,
Growe drumly an dark as it rowed on the way.

O fickle fortune! why this cruel sportin?
Why this perplexin puir sons o a day?
Thy frouns canna fear me, nor smiles canna cheer me
Since the flouers o the Forest are a' wed away.

Sandy Fleming
http://scotstext.org/

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From: Glenn Simpson <westwylam at yahoo.co.uk>
Subject: LL-L "History" 2003.01.03 [E]

Dear all,

It is good to see some balanced history about the
tangled web that is the history of the British and
Irish Isles. Of course there was good and bad on all
sides. For example, my County of Northumberland on the
England - Scotland Border was the focus for many a
battle between the Scottish and English crowns, and
suffered the consequences for centuries. I think
per-square-mile (or kms for our continental cousins)
Northumberland has more castles and fortifications
than any area in England.

Most national boundaries are fairly arbitary, indeed
it should be remembered that the Scotland - England
border is a political one not a linguistic one, since
the language spoken on either side of the Tweed is the
same. It also should be remembered that England itself
is nation of regions with different regional cultures
and linguistic traditions. These has been deliberately
suppressed by central government policies,
particularly since the introduction of compulsory
education.

Just some thoughts,

Glenn Simpson
Northumbrian Language Society

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