WARS IN GERMANY
(learned at Teton Tea Party in the 1960s)
O, wae be tae the orders that marched my love awa'!
The drums beat in the mornin' before the screech o' day,
Noo, lang, lang be the travellin' to the bonny pier o' Leath,
Noo I luik o'er the braid blue sea as lang a micht be seen
(from miriam berg's folksong collection)
And wae be tae the cruel cause that gars my tears to fa',
And wae be tae the bluidy wars o' high Germany,
For they ha' ta'en my love, and left a broken heart tae me.
The wee, wee fifes play loud and shrill while yet the dawn is gray,
The bonny flags are all unfurled, a gallant sight tae see,
But wae's be tae my sojer lad, that's marched for Germany!
And dricht it is tae gae there wi' the snawdrift in your teeth,
And aye the could wind froze the tear tha's gathered in my e'e
When I gaed there to see my love embark for Germany.
The wee bit sail upon the ship my sojer lad was in,o fa',
But the wind was blowin' sair and snell and the ship sailed speedily
Aye, the waves and cruel wars ha' twinned my winsome love from me.