Come Gie's A Sang Songtext

"Come gie's a sang", thae asked the poet Owre the water, cross the muir "Tell our joys an tell our woes" The linnet sings sae bonnie-o The poet waved his pen aloft "My art's too great for the common trough" "What fame is there for one like me Reciting poor folks' history?" "There's precious little wealth or glory In telling common peoples' story" The people turned untae thair ain Tae sing thair passion an thair pain "Come gie's a sang", they asked the makar "Tell our story wi your craft" The makar traivelled through the land Pentlan Firth tae Solway strand Through the Lawlans an the Hielans Frae the Border tae the Northern Isles He's gaen frae Stornoway tae Brechin Listenin tae the people speak He listened as the day wis dawin Eagle's cry an houdie's caw He heard the roar o ragin seas Branches whisperin in the breeze He heard the weepin widow mournin The crack o broadsword cleavin bone Heard the shipyard haimmer ringin The lilt o playin children sing The wind it blew frae aa the airts Bringin tunes frae ither pairts He's taken every sound he heard Crafted thaim tae makar's words The poet's work lies in a book Whaur naebody but scholars look But still the makar's sang is sung His words are pairt o everyone