| James and Mary Ford, eds. Every Day in the Year. 1902. | | | | August 2 | | Wha’ll Be King but Charlie? | | By Lady Nairne (1766–1845) |
| | | | Charles Edward, “the young Pretender,” landed in the Hebrides on August 2, 1745, to head a Jacobite rising which was destined to be unsuccessful. |
|
|
THE NEWS frae Moidart cam’ yestreen, | |
| Will soon gar mony ferlie; | |
| For ships o’ war hae just come in, | |
| And landed Royal Charlie! | |
| |
| The Highland clans wi’ sword in hand, | 5 |
| Frae John o’ Groat’s to Airlie, | |
| Hae to a man declared to stand, | |
| Or fall wi’ Royal Charlie! | |
| |
| The Lowlands a’ baith great and sma’, | |
| Wi’ mony a lord and laird, hae | 10 |
| Declared for Scotland’s king and law, | |
| And speir ye, wha’ but Charlie? | |
| |
| There’s ne’er a lass in a’ the land | |
| But vows baith late and early, | |
| To man she’ll ne’er gie heart or hand | 15 |
| Who wadna fight for Charlie. | |
| |
| Then here’s a health to Charlie’s cause, | |
| And be’t complete and early; | |
| His very name my heart’s blood warms— | |
| To arms for Royal Charlie! | 20 |
| |
| Cho.—Come through the heather, around him gather, | |
| Ye’re a’ the welcomer early; | |
| Around him cling wi’ a’ your kin, | |
| For wha’ll be king but Charlie? | |
| |
| Come through the heather, around him gather, | 25 |
| Come Ronald, come Donald, come a’ thegither, | |
| And crown your rightfu’, lawfu’ king; | |
| For wha’ll be king but Charlie? | | | |
|
|
|
