Scottish Poetry Selection
- Wha Daur Meddle Wi' Me?
The royal coat of arms in Scotland has the Latin motto "Nemo me impune lacessit". The English translation of this is "Nobody interferes with me with impunity" and this is often defiantly expressed in broad Scots as "Wha daur meddle wi' me?" which is the title of this anonymous poem. But on this occasion it is being aggressively repeated by a member of the Elliot family, one of the Border families who not only fought their neighbours but were part of the first line of defence against marauding English invaders - and could sometimes defy the Scottish monarch as well!
Wha Daur Meddle Wi' Me?
Ma castle is aye ma ain,
An' herried it never shall be,
For I maun fa' ere it's taen,
An' wha daur meddle wi' me?
Wi' ma kit i' the rib o' ma naig,
Ma sword hingin' doon by ma knee,
For man I am never afraid,
An' wha daur meddle wi' me?
Wha daur meddle wi' me?
Wha daur meddle wi' me?
Oh, ma name it's wee Jock Elliot,
An' wha daur meddle wi' me?Fierce Bothwell I vanquished clean,
Gar'd troopers an' fitmen flee;
By my faith I dumfoondert the Queen,
An' wha daur meddle wi' me?
Alang by the dead water stank,
Jock Fenwick I met on the lea,
But his saddle was toom in a clank,
An' wha daur meddle wi' me?
Wha daur meddle wi' me?
Wha daur meddle wi' me?
Oh, ma name it's wee Jock Elliot,
An' wha daur meddle wi' me?Whar Keelder meets wi' the Tyne,
Masel an' ma kinsmen three,
We tackled the Percies nine -
They'll never mair meddle wi' me.
Sir Harry wi' nimble brand,
He pricket ma cap ajee,
But I cloured his heid on the strand,
An' wha daur meddle wi' me?
Wha daur meddle wi' me?
Wha daur meddle wi' me?
Oh, ma name it's wee Jock Elliot,
An' wha daur meddle wi' me?The Cumberland reivers ken
The straik ma airm can gie,
An' warily pass the glen,
For wha daur meddle wi' me?
I chased the loons doon to Carlisle,
Jook't the raip on the Hair-i-bee,
Ma naig nickert an' cockit his tail,
But wha daur meddle wi' me?
Wha daur meddle wi' me?
Wha daur meddle wi' me?
Oh, ma name it's wee Jock Elliot,
An' wha daur meddle wi' me?Ma kinsmen are true, an' brawlie,
At glint o' an enemie,
Round Park's auld Turrets they rally,
An' wha daur meddle wi' me?
Then heigh for the tug an' the tussle,
Tho' the cost should be Jethart tree;
Let the Queen an' her troopers gae whustle
An' wha daur meddle wi' me?
Wha daur meddle wi' me?
Wha daur meddle wi' me?
Oh, ma name it's wee Jock Elliot,
An' wha daur meddle wi' me?Meaning of unusual words:
herried=plundered, robbed
maun fa' ere it's taen=must fall before it's taken
naig=nag, horse
Gar'd=made
dumfoondert=amazed, perplexed
toom=empty
clank=severe blow
Percies=an English aristocratic family
ajee=crooked, awry
cloured=struck, battered
reivers=border bandits
ken=know
loons=rascals
Jook't=duck, evade a blow
Hair-i-bee=place of execution at Carlisle
Ma naig nickert=my horse whinnied
brawlie=in good health
Jethart tree=a jury that tries a case after inflicting punishment
Where else would you like to go in Scotland?
