Traditional Scottish Songs
- The Wee, Wee German Lairdie
The Wee, Wee German Lairdie
Wha the de'il hae we gotten for a king,
But a wee, wee German Lairdie:
When we gaed ower to bring him hame,
He was delvin' in his kailyardie.
He was sheughing kail, and laying leeks,
Without the hose, an' but the breeks,
An' up his beggar duds lie cleeks.
This wee, wee German Lairdie.An' he's clappit doun in our gudeman's chair,
The wee, wee German lairdie;
An' he's brocht fouth o' his foreign trash,
An' dibbled them in his yairdie.
He's pu'd the rose o' English loons,
An' broken the harp o' Irish clowns,
But our Scotch thistle will jag his thumbs,
This wee, wee German lairdie.Come up amang our Hieland. Hills,
Thou wee, wee German lairdie,
An' see the Stuart's lang kail thrive,
They hae dibbled in our kail-yairdie.
An' if a stock ye daur to pu',
Or haud the yokin' o' a plough,
We'll break your sceptre owre your mou,'
Ye feckless German lairdie.Auld Scotland, thou'rt ower cauld a hole,
For nursin' siccan vermin;
But the very dogs in England's court,
They bark an' howl in German.
Then keep thy dibble in thy ain hand,
Thy spade but an' thy yairdie;
For wha the deil now claims your land,
But a wee, wee German lairdie ?Meaning of unusual words:
wha the deil=who the devil
lairdie=a petty landowner
gaed ower=went over
fouth=plenty
delvin in his kail yardie=digging in his cabbage patch
laying leeks=planting vegetables
breeks=trousers
beggar duds he cleeks=pulls up his beggar rags
clappit doun=clapped down
brocht fouth=brought plenty
loons=dishonest rascals
lang kail=long cabbage
daur to pu'=dare to pull
haud=hold
mou=mouth
ower cauld a hole=too cold a place
Where else would you like to go in Scotland?
