Classic Poem

‘W HERE gang ye, thou silly auld carle?
And what do you carry there?’
‘I'm gaun to the hillside, thou sodger gentleman,
To shift my sheep their lair.’

Ae stride or twa took the silly auld carle,
An' a gude lang stride took he:
‘I trow thou to be a feck auld carle,
Will ye shaw the way to me?’

And he was gane wi' the silly auld carle,
Adown by the greenwood side;
‘Light down and gang, thou sodger gentleman,
For here ye canny ride.’

He drew the reins o' his bonny gray steed,
An' lightly down he sprang:
Of the comeliest scarlet was his weir coat,
Whare the gowden tassels hang.

He has thrown aff his plaid, the silly auld carle,
An' his bonnet frae 'boon his bree;
An' wha was it but the young Maxwell!
An' his gude brown sword drew he!

‘Thou killed my father, thou vile South'ron!
An' ye killed my brethren three!
Whilk brake the heart o' my ae sister,
I loved as the light o' my e'e!

‘Draw out thy sword, thou vile South'ron!
Red wat wi' blude o' my kin!
That sword it crapped the bonniest flower
E'er lifted its head to the sun!

‘There's ae sad stroke for my dear auld father!
There's twa for my brethren three!
An' there's ane to thy heart for my ae sister,
Wham I loved as the light o' my e'e.’