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Home  »  library  »  poem  »  Bruce to his Men at Bannockburn

C.D. Warner, et al., comp.
The Library of the World’s Best Literature. An Anthology in Thirty Volumes. 1917.

Bruce to his Men at Bannockburn

By Robert Burns (1759–1796)

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 pow’r—

Chains and slaverie!

Wha will be a traitor-knave?

Wha can fill a coward’s grave?

Wha sae base as be a slave?

Let him turn and flee!

Wha for Scotland’s king and law

Freedom’s sword will strongly draw,

Freemen stand, or freemen fa’,

Let him follow me!

By oppression’s woes and pains!

By our 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!