Traditional Scottish Songs
- Scottish Emigrant's Farewell

In these days of jet travel and journeys back and forth across the world, it is harder to envisage the feelings of emigrants as they left for a new life thousands of miles away, knowing that they would never return to their native land. This song was written and composed by Alexander Hume.


Scottish Emigrant's Farewell

Fareweel, fareweel my native hame,
Thy lonely glens an' heath-clad mountains,
Fareweel thy fields o' storied fame,
Thy leafy shaws an' sparkling fountains,
Nae mair I'll climb the Pentland's steep,
Nor wander by the Esk's clear river,
I seek a hame far o'er the deep,
My native land, fareweel forever.

Thou land wi' love and freedom crown'd,
In ilk wee cot an' lordly dwellin',
May manly hearted youths be found,
And maids in ev'ry grace excellin'.
The land where Bruce and Wallace wight,
For freedom fought in days o' danger,
Never crouch'd to proud usurpin' right.
But foremost stood, wrongs stern avenger.

Tho' far frae thee, my native shore,
An' toss'd on life's tempestuous ocean;
My heart, aye Scottish to the core,
Shall cling to thee wi' warm devotion,
An' while the wavin' heather grows,
An' onward rows the windin' river,
The toast be Scotland's broomy knowes,
Her mountains, rocks, an' glens forever.

Meaning of unusual words:
shaws=leaves and stalks of root vegetables
ilk=every
wight=valiant, courageous
aye=always

Return to the Index of Traditional Scottish Songs




Where else would you like to go in Scotland?








Separator line