First printed in Barke, 1955.
Up and warn a’ Willie,
Warn, warn a’;
To hear my cantie Highland sang, joyful, song
Relate the things I saw, Willie. —
5 When we gaed to the braes o’ Mar, went
And to the wapon-shaw, Willie, show of weapons
Wi true design to serve the king
And banish whigs awa, Willie. —
Up and warn a’, Willie,
10 Warn, warn a’;
For Lords and lairds came there bedeen, early
And wow but they were braw, Willie. — handsome
But when the standard was set up
Right fierce the wind did blaw, Willie; blow
15 The royal nit upon the tap nut, top
Down to the ground did fa’, Willie. —
Up and warn a’, Willie,
Warn, warn a’;
Then second-sighted Sandie said
20 We’d do nae gude at a’, Willie. — no good
But when the army join’d at Perth,
The bravest ere ye saw, Willie,
We didna doubt the rogues to rout,
Restore our king and a’, Willie.
25 Up and warn a’ Willie,
Warn, warn a’;
The pipers play’d frae left to right from
O whirry whigs awa, Willie. — harry
But when we march’d to Sherramuir
30 And there the rebels saw, Willie;
Brave Argyll attack’d our right,
Our flank and front and a’ Willie. —
Warn, warn a’;
35Traitor Huntly soon gave way
Seaforth, St. Clair and a’ Willie. —
But brave Glengarry on our right,
The rebel’s left did claw, Willie,
He there the greatest slaughter made
40 That ever Donald saw, Willie. —
Up and warn a’, Willie,
Warn, warn a’;
And Whittam shat his breeks for fear trousers
And fast did run awa, Willie. —
45 For he ca’d us a Highland mob
And soon he’d slay us a’, Willie;
But we chas’d him back to Stirling brig
Dragoons and foot and a’, Willie. —
Up and warn a’, Willie,
50 Warn, warn a’;
At length we rallied on a hill
And briskly up did draw, Willie. —
But when Argyle did view our line,
And them in order saw, Willie,
55 He streight gaed to Dumblane again straight went
And back his left did draw, Willie. —
Up and warn a’, Willie,
Warn, warn a’,
Then we to Auchterairder march’d
60 To wait a better fa’ Willie. — outcome
Now if ye spier wha wan the day, ask, who won
I’ve tell’d you what I saw, Willie,
We baith did fight and baith did beat both
And baith did rin awa, Willie. — run
65 Up and warn a’, Willie,
Warn, warn a’ Willie,
For second-sighted Sandie said
We’d do nae gude at a’, Willie. — no good
This song is based on a traditional work which records an indecisive battle at Sheriffmuir during the Jacobite rebellion of 1715, in which both sides claimed that the other retreated in panic. In his notes to Scottish songs Burns states he obtained a copy of this song from ‘Tom Niel’ who was well known in Edinburgh. The Neil text is expanded by Burns into a satirical lyric sung as a colloquial reminiscence, mocking the key players in the battle, namely the Earl of Huntly, the Earl of Seaforth, McDonnell of Glengarry and ‘Whittam’ (General Whetham), ‘who shat his breeks’. The song does not have the same effect and success of The Battle Of Sheriffmuir. Surprisingly, the song did not surface as a work of Burns until Barke in 1955. Mackay’s version is missing the two final stanzas, leaving the narrative drama incomplete (pp. 317–18).