“The Wee, Wee German Lairdie” (1714)30
Source.—The Jacobite Songs and Ballads of Scotland from 1688 to 1746, p. 65. Edited by Charles Mackay, LL.D. (London and Glasgow: 1861.)
Wha the deil hae we gotten for a King,
But a wee, wee German lairdie!
An’ when we gaed to bring him hame,
He was delving in his kail-yairdie31:
Sheughing32 kail,33 and laying leeks,
But34 the hose and but the breeks;
Up his beggar duds35 he cleeks,36
The wee, wee German lairdie!
And he’s clapt down in our gudeman’s chair,
The wee, wee German lairdie!
And he’s brought fouth37 o’ foreign trash,
And dibbled38 them in his yairdie:
He’s pu’d the rose o’ English loons,
And brake the harp o’ Irish clowns,
But our Scots thristle will jag39 his thumbs,
The wee, wee German lairdie.
Come up among the Highland hills,
Thou wee, wee German lairdie.
And see how Charlie’s lang-kail40 thrive,
That he dibbled in his yairdie:
And if a stock ye daur to pu’,
Or haud the yoking of a pleugh,
We’ll break your sceptre o’er your mou’,41
Thou wee bit German lairdie!
Our hills are steep, our glens are deep,
No fitting for a yairdie;
And our norlan’42 thristles winna pu’,
Thou wee, wee German lairdie!
And we’ve the trenching blades o’ weir,43
Wad lib44 ye o’ your German gear,
And pass ye ’neath the claymore’s shear,
Thou feckless45 German lairdie!
He’ll ride nae mair on strae sonks,46
For gawing47 his German hurdies48;
But he sits on our gude king’s throne,
Amang the English lordies.
Auld Scotland! thou’rt owre cauld a hole
For nursing siccan49 vermin;
But the very dogs o’ England’s court
Can bark and howl in German!
Footnotes
30 Written on the accession of King George I.
31 Literally, vegetable garden.
32 Trenching.
33 Colewort.
34 Outside.
35 Shabby clothes.
36 Grabs.
37 Abundance.
38 Planted.
39 Lacerate.
40 Unmashed cabbage.
41 Mouth.
42 Northland.
43 War.
44 Geld.
45 Incompetent.
46 Loose straw rubbish.
47 Chafing.
48 Buttocks.
49 Suchlike.