The Battle Of Harlaw Poem Rhyme Scheme

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The Text of this ballad was sent to Professor Child by Mr C E Dalrymple of Kinaldie Aberdeenshire from whose version the printed variants Notes and Queries Third Series vii and Aytoun's Ballads of Scotland i have been more or less directly derived	A
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The ballad is one of those mentioned in The Complaynt of Scotland like the 'Hunttis of Chevet' see p of this volume It is again mentioned as being in print in but the latter may possibly refer to a poem on the battle afterwards printed in Allan Ramsay's Evergreen The fact that the present ballad omits all reference to the Earl of Mar and deals with the Forbes brothers who are not otherwise known to have taken part in the battle disposes Professor Child to believe that it is a comparatively recent ballad	B
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The Story The battle of Harlaw was fought on July Harlaw is eighteen miles north west of Aberdeen Dunidier a hill on the Aberdeen road and Netherha' is close at hand Balquhain is a mile south of Harlaw while Drumminnor is more than twenty miles away though the horse covered the distance there and back in 'twa hours an' a quarter'	C
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The ballad is narrated by 'John Hielan'man' to Sir James the Rose derived from the ballad of that name given earlier in the present volume and Sir John the Gryme Graeme 'Macdonell' is Donald of the Isles who as claimant to the Earldom of Ross advanced on Aberdeen and was met at Harlaw by the Earl of Mar and Alexander Ogilvy sheriff of Angus It was a stubborn fight though it did not last from Monday to Saturday and Donald lost nine hundred men and the other party five hundred	B
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Child finds a difficulty with the use of the word 'she' in despite 'me' in the two previous lines Had it been 'her ' the difficulty would not have arisen	D
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THE BATTLE OF HARLAW	E
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As I cam in by Dunidier	C
An' doun by Netherha'	F
There was fifty thousand Hielan'men	D
A marching to Harlaw	E
Wi' a dree dree dradie drumtie dree	C
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As I cam on an' farther on	D
An' doun an' by Balquhain	D
Oh there I met Sir James the Rose	G
Wi' him Sir John the Gryme	H
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'O cam ye frae the Hielan's man	D
An' cam ye a' the wey	I
Saw ye Macdonell an' his men	D
As they cam frae the Skee '	-
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'Yes me cam frae ta Hielan's man	D
An' me cam a' ta wey	I
An' she saw Macdonell an' his men	D
As they cam frae ta Skee '	-
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'Oh was ye near Macdonell's men	D
Did ye their numbers see	J
Come tell to me John Hielan'man	D
What micht their numbers be '	-
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'Yes me was near an' near eneuch	K
An' me their numbers saw	L
There was fifty thousan' Hielan'men	D
A marchin' to Harlaw '	-
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'Gin that be true ' says James the Rose	G
'We'll no come meikle speed	M
We'll cry upo' our merry men	D
And lichtly mount our steed '	-
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'Oh no oh no ' says John the Gryme	H
'That thing maun never be	J
The gallant Grymes were never bate	N
We'll try phat we can dee '	-
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As I cam on an' farther on	D
An' doun an' by Harlaw	E
They fell fu' close on ilka side	O
Sic fun ye never saw	L
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They fell fu' close on ilka side	O
Sic fun ye never saw	L
For Hielan' swords gied clash for clash	K
At the battle o' Harlaw	E
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The Hielan'men wi' their lang swords	P
They laid on us fu' sair	C
An' they drave back our merry men	D
Three acres breadth an' mair	C
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Brave Forb s to his brither did say	I
'Noo brither dinna ye see	J
They beat us back on ilka side	O
An' we'se be forced to flee '	-
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'Oh no oh no my brither dear	C
That thing maun never be	J
Tak' ye your good sword in your hand	Q
An' come your wa's wi' me '	-
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'Oh no oh no my brither dear	C
The clans they are ower strang	R
An' they drive back our merry men	D
Wi' swords baith sharp an' lang '	-
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Brave Forb s drew his men aside	O
Said 'Tak' your rest awhile	E
Until I to Drumminnor send	S
To fess my coat o' mail '	-
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The servant he did ride	O
An' his horse it did na fail	E
For in twa hours an' a quarter	C
He brocht the coat o' mail	E
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Then back to back the brithers twa	I
Gaed in amo' the thrang	R
An' they hewed doun the Hielan'men	D
Wi' swords baith sharp an' lang	R
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Macdonell he was young an' stout	T
Had on his coat o' mail	E
An' he has gane oot throw them a'	U
To try his han' himsell	E
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The first ae straik that Forb s strack	R
He garrt Macdonell reel	E
An' the neist ae straik that Forb s strack	R
The great Macdonell fell	E
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An' siccan a lierachie	K
I'm sure ye never saw	L
As wis amo' the Hielan'men	D
When they saw Macdonell fa'	V
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An' whan they saw that he was deid	T
They turn'd an' ran awa	I
An' they buried him in Leggett's Den	D
A large mile frae Harlaw	E
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They rade they ran an' some did gang	R
They were o' sma' record	T
But Forb s an' his merry men	D
They slew them a' the road	T
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On Monanday at mornin'	D
The battle it began	D
On Saturday at gloamin'	D
Ye'd scarce kent wha had wan	D
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An' sic a weary buryin'	D
I'm sure ye never saw	L
As wis the Sunday after that	T
On the muirs aneath Harlaw	E
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Gin ony body speer at you	W
For them ye took awa'	I
Ye may tell their wives and bairnies	L
They're sleepin' at Harlaw	E

Frank Sidgwick

The Battle Of Harlaw Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

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