Flowers of the Forest

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Flowers of the Forest is an old Scottish folk song . Since the original text is unknown, there are several different versions. Only the melody, which was recorded in the John Skene of Halyards Manuscript in the 17th century, has survived. Presumably it was composed earlier and is still often played on the bagpipe at Scottish church services on Remembrance Day (see Memorial Day ).

Text versions

Well-known text versions come from Jean Elliot and Alison Cockburn from the middle of the 18th century.

The version by Jean Elliot describes the suffering of the Scottish women and children who lost loved ones in the crushing defeat by England at the Battle of Flodden Field .

Scottish text (verse 1 and verse 5)

I've heard the lilting, at the yowe-milking,
Lassies a-lilting before dawn o 'day;
But now they are moaning on ilka green loaning;
The Flowers of the Forest are a 'wede away.

...

Dool and wae for the order sent oor lads tae the border!
The English for ance, by guile wan the day,
The Flooers o 'the Forest, that fought aye the foremost,
The pride o' oor land lie cauld in the clay.

German translation

I heard the singing when milking the sheep.
Girls who sing before sunrise.
But now they wail in every yard.
The flowers of the forest have withered
...
Sorrow and grief over the order that sent our boys to the border.
The English, for once, won by cunning
The flowers of the forest that fought on the front lines
The pride of our country lie cold in the clay

swell