THE DECLARATION OF ARBROATH

THE DECLARATION OF ARBROATH
Jim McLean

In Thirteen-Twenty Scotland said,

Should England dare our soil to tread,

The blood will flow in rivers red,

Before capitulation.

No more will Scotland bow the knee,

To foreign prince who e're he be,

For come what may we'll aye be free,

From English domination.

Chorus :

Here's to the men who took the oath,

The Declaration of Arbroath,

Freedom and right, our cause is both,

To save us from damnation.

Out with traitor, out with foe,

Give the Saxon blow for blow,

And freedom's brightest star shall glow,

Above the Scottish nation.

Its not for honour that we sigh,

Nor glory makes us long to die.

But liberty is Scotland's cry,

No English subjugation.

Our fathers didn't die in vain,

For while a hundred men remain,

No English king shall o'er us reign,

Stand up for Scotland's nation.

Too long we've played the tartan fool,

Too long we've bowed to English rule,

Too long we've cringed before John Bull,

Afreaid of confrontation.

So heed the words from Bruce's pen,

Scotland must be free again,

Stand up a hundred Scottish men,

Who'll honour the Declaration.

Footnote : This week marks not only the 150th song in the series 'Sing A Sang At Least' but also the 684th anniversary of the Declaration of Arbroath, the historic letter from the Scottish nobles to Pope John XXII asserting Scottish Independence, on 6th April 1320. The Arbroath letter marked the emergence of Scotland as the first nation-state in Europe in the modern sense. This great song by Jim McLean says it all- thewords of The Declaration of Arbroath should be etched on every Scot's heart. Thankfully there are still more than a hundred Scots prepared to stand up for full Scottish Nationhood.