FLOWERS of the FOREST

The Flowers of the Forest (below) was written by Jean Elliot on the 18th century and is a reworking of an older song about the non-return of the large number of Scottish soldiers after the Battle of Flodden, when 10,000 are said to have perished along with their king and large numbers of the nobility.

In Memory of those who have passed

2007 / 2008

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.