Traditional Scottish Songs
- Jessie's Dream
This song was written by Grace Campbell and conveys the dream of Jessie, wounded in a battle on foreign shores, to return once more to see her native land. There is a belief that Jessie was a young soldiers wife who was the first to hear the pipers of the advancing Highland Regiment at the relief of the siege of Lucknow in India - though some others dispute this.
Jessie's Dream
Far awa' tae bonnie Scotland
Has my spirit ta'en its flight,
An' I saw my mither spinnin'
In our Highland hame at night;
I saw the kye a browsing
My father at the plough,
And the grand auld hills aboon them a',
Wad I could see them now!Oh! leddy, while upon your knees,
Ye held my sleepin' head,
I saw the little Kirk at hame,
Where Tam and I were wed;
I heard the tune the pipers played,
I kenn'd its rise and fa'.
'Twas the wild Macgregor's slogan-
'Tis the grandest o' them a'.(Soft music of distant march of Highlanders)
Hark! surely I'm no wildly dreamin'
For I hear it plainly now -
Ye cannot, ye never heard it
On the far off mountain's brow;
For in your southern childhood,
Ye were nourish'd saft and warm,
Nor watch'd upon the cauld hillside
The risin' o' the storm.Ay! now the soldiers hear it,
An' answer with a cheer,
As "The Campbells are a comin"
Falls on anxious ear.
The cannon's roar'd their thunder,
And the sappers work in vain,
For high aboon the din o' war
Resounds the welcome strain.(Music of Highlanders advancing)
An' nearer still, an' nearer still,
An now again 'tis "Auld Lang Syne"
It's kindly notes like life bluid rin,
Rin through this puir sad heart o' mine;
Oh! leddy dinna swoon awa'!
Look up! the evil's past,
They're comin' now to dee wi' us,
Or save us at the last.Then let us humbly, thankfully,
Down on our knees and pray,
For those who come thro' bluid and fire,
To rescue us this day.
That He may o'er them spread His shield,
Stretch forth His arm and save
Bold Havelock and his Highlanders,
The bravest o' the brave!(Music reaches a crescendo)
Meaning of unusual words:
kye=cattle
aboon=above
kirk=church
kenn'd=knew
Where else would you like to go in Scotland?
