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A Jacobite song to commemorate the Battle of Culloden on 16th April 1745. The song might refer to either the 1715 or 1745 Jacobite Rising; or perhaps the name Donald MacGillavry might just be used to denote Highlanders loyal to the Stewart Cause. In any case, it was written in 1819 by James Hogg, a Scottish poet and novelist, as well as an early parodist according to Kaoru Negisa.
Go and buy the album that this is from. LIVE WIZARDY by Silly Wizard on Green Linnet Records. These boys are now doing different things but the music on this one is some seriously classic Scottish folk.
Donald MacGillavry
by James Hogg
Donald’s gane up the hill hard and hungry,
Donald comes down the hill wild and angry;
Donald will clear the gouk’s nest cleverly, [gouk = cuckoo]
Here’s to King James and Donald Macgillavry.
Come like a weigh-bauk, Donald Macgillavry, [weigh-bauk = scales]
Come like a weigh-bauk, Donald Macgillavry,
Balance them fair, and balance them cleverly:
Off wi’the counterfeit, Donald Macgillavry.
Donald’s run o’er the hill but his tether, man, [wud = mad]
As he were wud, or stang’d wi’ an ether, man; [stung by an adder]
When he comes back, there’s some will look merrily:
Here’s to King James and to Donald Macgillavry.
Come like a weaver, Donald Macgillavry,
Come like a weaver, Donald Macgillavry,
Pack on your back, and elwand sae cleverly; [elwand = measuring rod]
Gie them full measure, my Donald Macgillavry.
Donald has foughten wi’ rief and roguery; [rief = banditry]
Donald has dinner’d wi banes and beggary, [banes = bones]
Better it were for Whigs and Whiggery
Meeting the devil than Donald Macgillavry.
Come like a tailor, Donald Macgillavry,
Come like a tailor, Donald Macgillavry,
Push about, in and out, thimble them cleverly,
Here’s to King James and to Donald Macgillavry.
Donald’s the callan that brooks nae tangleness; [callan = fine fellow]
Whigging and prigging and a’newfangleness,
They maun be gane: he winna be baukit, man: [baukit = balked]
He maun hae justice, or faith he’ll tak it, man.
Come like a cobbler, Donald Macgillavry,
Come like a cobbler, Donald Macgillavry;
Beat them, and bore them, and lingel them cleverly, [shoemaker’s thread]
Up wi’ King James and wi’ Donald Macgillavry.
Donald was mumpit wi’ mirds and mockery; [lulled with flattery]
Donald was blinded wi’ blads o’ property; [blads = lots]
Arles ran high, but makings were naething, man, [Arles = Thrashing]
Lord, how Donald is flyting and fretting, man. [flyt = scold]
Come like the devil, Donald Macgillavry,
Come like the devil, Donald Macgillavry; [skelp = chastise]
Skelp them and scaud them that proved sae unbritherly, [scaud = scold]
Up wi’ King James and wi’ Donald Macgillavry!
Donald comes down the hill wild and angry;
Donald will clear the gouk’s nest cleverly, [gouk = cuckoo]
Here’s to King James and Donald Macgillavry.
Come like a weigh-bauk, Donald Macgillavry, [weigh-bauk = scales]
Come like a weigh-bauk, Donald Macgillavry,
Balance them fair, and balance them cleverly:
Off wi’the counterfeit, Donald Macgillavry.
Donald’s run o’er the hill but his tether, man, [wud = mad]
As he were wud, or stang’d wi’ an ether, man; [stung by an adder]
When he comes back, there’s some will look merrily:
Here’s to King James and to Donald Macgillavry.
Come like a weaver, Donald Macgillavry,
Come like a weaver, Donald Macgillavry,
Pack on your back, and elwand sae cleverly; [elwand = measuring rod]
Gie them full measure, my Donald Macgillavry.
Donald has foughten wi’ rief and roguery; [rief = banditry]
Donald has dinner’d wi banes and beggary, [banes = bones]
Better it were for Whigs and Whiggery
Meeting the devil than Donald Macgillavry.
Come like a tailor, Donald Macgillavry,
Come like a tailor, Donald Macgillavry,
Push about, in and out, thimble them cleverly,
Here’s to King James and to Donald Macgillavry.
Donald’s the callan that brooks nae tangleness; [callan = fine fellow]
Whigging and prigging and a’newfangleness,
They maun be gane: he winna be baukit, man: [baukit = balked]
He maun hae justice, or faith he’ll tak it, man.
Come like a cobbler, Donald Macgillavry,
Come like a cobbler, Donald Macgillavry;
Beat them, and bore them, and lingel them cleverly, [shoemaker’s thread]
Up wi’ King James and wi’ Donald Macgillavry.
Donald was mumpit wi’ mirds and mockery; [lulled with flattery]
Donald was blinded wi’ blads o’ property; [blads = lots]
Arles ran high, but makings were naething, man, [Arles = Thrashing]
Lord, how Donald is flyting and fretting, man. [flyt = scold]
Come like the devil, Donald Macgillavry,
Come like the devil, Donald Macgillavry; [skelp = chastise]
Skelp them and scaud them that proved sae unbritherly, [scaud = scold]
Up wi’ King James and wi’ Donald Macgillavry!