Wee, Wee German Lairdie Wha the deil hae we gotten for a king But a wee, wee German lairdie And when we gaed to bring him hame He was delving in his yairdie Sheughing kail & laying leeks But the hose & but the breeks And up his begger duds he cleeks This wee, wee German lairdie And he's clapt down in our guidman's chair This wee,wee German lairdie And he's brouhgt fouth o' foreign trash And dibbled them in his yairdie He's pu'd the rose o' England loons And broken the harp o' Irish clows But our thistle taps will jag his thumbs This wee, wee German lairdie Come up amang our highland hills Thou wee bit German lairdie And see how the Stuart's lang kail thrive They dibbled in our yaiddie And if a stock ye dare to pu' Or haud the yokin' o' a plough We'll break your sceptre ower your mou' Thou wee bit German lairdie Our hills are steep, our glens are deep Nae fitting for a yairdie Our Norland thistles winna pu' Thou wee bit German lairdie We've the trenching blades o' weir Wad prune ye o' your German gear We'll pass ye 'neath the claymore's shear Thou feckless German lairdie Auld Scotland thou'rt ower cauld a hole For nursin siccan vermin But the very dogs o' England's court They bark and howl in German Then keep thy dibble in thy ain hand Thy spade but and thy yairdie For wha the deil now claims your land But a wee, wee German lairdie Wha the deil hae = Who the devil have lairdie= small land owner, gaed= went deving= digging, yairdie= garden laying leeks=planting vegetables but the hose & but the breeks= without hose & trousers clapt= sat down hastily, guidman's chair= throne fouth= abundance, dibbled= planted pu'd=pulled, loons= knaves, taps=tops haud= hold, mou'= mouth, weir=war, gear= goods winna pu'= will not pull, ower cauld= too cold claymore's shear= highland sword, siccan= such From ""Songs Of Two Rebellions, The Jacobite Wars of 1715 and 1745 in Scotland"". By Ewan MacColl with Peggy Seeger. BF oct99
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