Scots wha hae

Scots wha hae wi Wallace bled
Scots wham Bruce has aften led
Walcome tae yer gory bed
Or tae victorie
Nou's the day an nou's the hour
See the front o battle lour
See approach proud Edward's pouer
Chains an slaverie!

Wha wad be a traitor knave?
Wha wad fill a couard's grave?
Wha sae base as be a slave?
Lat him turn an flee
Wha for Scotlan's king an law
Freedom's sword wad strangly draw
Freeman staun or freeman faa
Lat him follow me!

By oppression's woes an pains
By our bairns in servile chains
We wad drain our dearest veins
Bit they sall be free
Lay the proud usurper low
Tyrants faa in every foe
Libertie's in every blow
Lat us dae or dee!

Subtitled "Bruce's Address Before Bannockburn", this is supposedly Burns' idea of what Robert Bruce is likely to have said to the Scots army waiting the arrival of the English at Bannockburn, 1314.

However, there is strong evidence that the song is actually about Thomas Muir

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