Dear Friends,
One of the plainest and most affecting songs of the Jacobites:
Will Ye No Come Back Again?
Lyric by Carolina Oliphant, Lady Nairne (1766 — 1845); Melody traditional
Arranged and performed by Ishmael Wallace
Bonnie Charlie’s noo awa’,
Safely ower the friendly main;
Mony a heart will break in twa
Should he ne’er come back again.
Refrain:
Will you no come back again?
Will ye no come back again?
Better lo’ed ye cannae be,
Will ye no come back again?
2. Ye trusted in your Hielan’ men,
The trusted you, dear Charlie;
They kent you hidin’ in the glen,
Your cleadin’ was but barely.
3. We watched thee in the gloamin’ hour,
We watched thee in the mornin’ grey,
Tho’ thirty thousand pounds they gie,
O there is nane that wad betray.
4. Sweet the laverock’s note and lang,
Liltin’ wildly up the glen,
But aye tae me he sings ae sang,
“Will ye no come back again?”
Thank you so much for listening, and for your support!
With every good wish,
Ishmael
Bonnie Charlie: Charles Edward Stuart (1720 — 1788), grandson of King James the Second of England and Ireland (James the Sixth of Scotland) — that James from whom we have the King James Bible. King James having been, in 1688, deposed — deposed in favor of the current line — Prince Charlie grew up in exile. Landing, in 1745, to support his father’s claim to the throne, he was defeated on Culloden’s Field and spent some months as a fugitive. Lightly disguised (“his cleadin’ was but barely”), thirty thousand pounds upon his head, none was found who would betray him…
Hieland: Highland
Kent thee: knew thee
Laverock: lark
Skylark, Pearson Scott Foresman
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