Un autre chant de bataille écossais (80% des chansons traditionnelles écossaises sont des chants de guerre, les Ecossais sont un peuple guerrier par excellence). Comme le disait un des musiciens des Corries, "ce serait une erreur de croire que nos ancêtres écossais employaient toute leur énergie à se battre contre les Anglais. Entre deux batailles avec les Anglais, pour garder la forme, ils se battaient aussi entre eux". Les disputes séculaires entre clans sont bien connues.
Cette chanson dont les paroles furent écrites par le grand poète écossais Robert Burns (surnommé Rabbie en Ecosse) célèbre la bataille de Sheriffmuir (ou Sherramuir), où les troupes Jacobites conduites par le comte de Mar affrontèrent en 1715 les troupes hanovriennes menées par le duc d'Argyll. Auparavant, le comte de Mar avait proclamé roi d'Ecosse le prétendant Stuart, James Francis Edward. La bataille fut indécise, et les deux camps s'attribuèrent la victoire, mais ce fut tout de même un coup d'arrêt pour la cause jacobite, car les troupes de Mar, beaucoup plus nombreuses, auraient du obtenir une victoire plus nette. A la suite de ce semi-échec, le prétendant Stuart rentra en France.
Voici la chanson, notez le roulement guerrier des bodhrans, les drums celtes:
http://www.youtube.com/v/aUwu5rMh ... re=relatedSur la bataille de Sherrifmuir:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_sheriffmuirVoici le texte de Burns:
Battle Of SherramuirO cam ye here the fight to shun,
Or herd the sheep wi' me, man?
Or were ye at the Sherra-moor,
Or did the battle see, man?"
"I saw the battle, sair and teugh
And reekin-red ran monie a sheugh;
My heart, for fear, gae sough for sough,
To hear the thuds, and see the cluds
O clans frae woods in tartan duds
Wha glaum'd at icingdoms three, man.
"The red-coat lads wi' black cockauds,
To meet them were na slaw, man;
They rush'd and push'd, and bluid outgush'd,
And monie a bouk did fa', man!
The great Argyle led on his files,
I wat they glanc'd for twenty miles;
They hough'd the clans like nine-pin kyles,
They hack'd and hash'd, while braid-swords clashed,
And thro they dash'd, and hew'd and smash'd,
Till fey men died awa, man.
"But had ye seen the philibegs,
And skyrin tartan trews, man;
When in the teeth they daur'd our Whigs,
And Covenant trueblues, man!
In lines extended lang and large,
When baig'nets o'erpower'd the targe,
And thousands hasten'd to the charge,
Wi' Highland wrath and frac the sheath
Drew blades o' death, till, out o' breath.
They fled like frightened dows, man!"
"O, how Deil, Tam, can that be true?
The chase gaed frae the north, man!
I saw mysel, they did pursue
The horseman back to Forth, man:
And at Dunblane, in my ain sight,
They took the brig wi a' their might
And straught to Stirling wing'd their flight;
But, cursed lot! the gates were shut,
And monie a huntit poor red-coat,
For fear amaist did swarf, man!"
My sister Kate came up the gate
Wi' crowdie unto me, man:
She swoor she saw some rebels run
To Perth and to Dundee, man!
Their left-hand general had nae skill;
The Angus lads had nae good will
That day their neebors' bluid to spill;
For fear, by foes, that they should lose
Their cogs o brose; they scar'd at blows,
And hameward fast did flee, man.
"They've lost some gallant gentlemen,
Amang the Highland clans, man!
I fear my Lord Panmure is slain,
Or in his en'mies' hands, man.
Now wad ye sing this double flight,
Some fell for wrang, and some for right,
But monie bade the world guid-night;
Say, pell and mell, wi' muskets' knell
How Tories feil, and Whigs to Hell
Flew off in frightened bands, man!"