One of the largest collections of Scottish Ballads & Scots Folk Songs, lyrics, celtic music and downloads available on the internet.
Traditional Celtic Music, Scottish Songs & Border Ballads
Scots' musician, songwriter, & balladeer.
Hazel Whyte
Broadsheet Ballads
Leader-Haughs &
Yarrow
A simple brief
thought on Scottish
Independance.

Were the outdated
union not of some very
high value to England and
the English, why would
they fight so to try to
keep it?

There are only so many
slices to a pie, for one to
have more, another must
have less.

Lastly - to those Scottish
"Loyalists" - to whom are
you loyal?
Scots royalty died in the
1700's so it can be no
Scots crown - And
certainly not it appears to
those who came before,
that bled for Scotland
and her freedom !  
In the words
of Burns, as he
wrote from the heart.

Scots, wha hae wi' Wallace bled,
Scots, wham Bruce has aften led,
Welcome to your gory bed,
Or to victorie.

Now's the day, and now's the hour;
See the front o' battle lour;
See approach proud Edward's power,
Chains and slaverie.

Wha would be a traitor-knave?
Wha can fill a coward's grave?
Wha sae base as be a Slave?
Let him turn and flie:

Wha for Scotland's king and law,
Freedom's sword will strongly draw,
Free-man stand, or free-man fa',
Let him follow me.

By Oppression's woes and pains!
By your Sons in servile chains!
We will drain our dearest veins,
But they shall be free!

Lay the proud Usurpers low!
Tyrants fall in every foe!
Liberty's in every blow!
Let us Do - or Die!!!

Choose your destiny.
These are songs, ballads and rhymes taken straight from the old
"broadsheet press" which existed in Scotland between about 1550 and
1890. Where possible we have simply put direct scans in place.
Circa 1720
Transcription
An Excellent new Ballad,

LEADER-HAUGHS and YAROW,

To its own proper Tune.

WHen Phœbus bright;   the Azure Skies
with golden Rayes enlightneth,
These things sublunar he espies,
Herbs Trees and plants, be quick' neth
Among all those be makes his choice
and gladly goes be thorow,
With radiant Beams, and silver Streams,
through Leader-haughs and Yarow.

2 When Aries the Day and Night
in equal length divideth.
Old frosty Saturn takes the flight
no longer he abideth :
Then Flora Queen with Mantle green
casts off her deadly Sorrow,
And vows to dwell with Ceres sell
in Leader-haughs and Yarow.

3   Pan playing with his Oaten Reed,
with Shepberds him attending,
Doth here resort their Flocks to seed
the Hills and Haughs commending ;
With Bottle, Bag, and Staff with Knag,
and all Singing good morrow ;
They swear no Field more Pleasure yields,
then Leader-haughs and Yarow.

4 One House there stands on Leader side
surmounting my   descriving,
With ease Rooms rare, and Windows clear,
like Dedalus contriving,
Men pesing by do often say,
in-South it hath no Marrow ;
It stands as fair on Leader Side,
as New wark does on Yarow,

5 A Mile below who lists to ride,
they'l hear the Mavis singing ;
Into St. Leonards Banks she'l bide,
sweet Birks her Head o'er hinging :
The Lintwhite loud, and Progne proud
with tender Throats and narrow
Into St. Leonard's Banks do sing
as sweetly as in Yarow

6 The Lapwing lilteth o'er the Lee
With nimble wings she Sporreth
But vows she'l not come neer the Tree,
where Philomel resorteth
By break of Day the Lark can say
I'll bid you all Good morrow
I'll yout and yell for I may dwell
In Leader-haughs and Yarow

7Park Wanton walls and Wodden Clough
The East and Wester Mainses
The Forrest of Lawder's fair enough,
the Corns are good in Blainslies ;
Where Oats are fine and sold by Kind
that if you search all thorow
Mearns, Buchan, Mar, none better are
then Leader-haughs and Yarow

8 In Burn-Miln Bog and Whitshed-shaw
the fearful Hare she haunteth ; (knows
Bridge-haugh and Broad-wood shell she
to the Chapell- Wood frequenteth
Yet When she irks to Kidslie Birks
she runs and sighs for Sorrow.
That she should leave sweet Laderhaughs
and cannot Win to Yarow

9 What sweeter Musick would you hear
Than Hounds and Beigles Crying
The Hare waits not but flees for Fear
their Hare Pursuits Desying
But yet her Strength it sails at length
no bielding can she borrow
At Haggs Cleckmaes nor Soreles-field
but longs to be at Yarow

9 For Rack-wood, Ring-wood, Rival, Aimer
still thinking for to view her
O'er Dub and Dyke o'er Seugh and syke
she'l Run the Fields all thorow,
Yet ends Her Dayes in Leader-haughs
and bids farewell to Yarow,
Thou Eastlingtoun and Coldingknows
Where Homes bad once commanding

10 And Drygrange with thy milke White Ews
twixt Tweed and Leader standing
The Birds that flies through Red Path Trees
And Gladswood banks all thorow
May chant and sing sweet Leader-haughs
and the bonny banks of Yarow
But Burn cannot his Grief asswage
While as his Days endureth

11 To see the Changes of this Age
Which Day and Time procureth.
For many a Place stands in Hard Case
Where Burns was blyth befarrow
With Homes that dwelt on Leader side,
and Scots thai dwelt in Yarow,
The Words of BURN the Violer,
WHat ? shall my, Viol silent be,
or leave her wonted Scriding ?

But choise some sadder Elogie,
no Sports and Mirds deriding .
It must be fain with lower Strain
then it was wont beforow
To sound the Praise of Leader- haughs
and the bonny Banks of Yarow :
But Floods have overflown the Banks,
the greenish haughs Disgracing,

12 And Trees in Woods grow thin in Ranks,
about the Fields defacing :
For Waters waxes,   Woods doth waind,
more if I could for Sorrow
In rural Verse I could rehearse :
of Leader-haughs and Yarow,
But Sighs and Sobs o'ersets my Breath
sore saltish Tears forth sending,

13 All Things sublunar here On Earth
are subject to an ending
So must my Song though somewhat long,
yet late at Even and Morrow
I'll sigh and sing sweet Leader-haughs
and the bonny Banks of Yarow.

FINIS.