Wae’s Me For Prince Charlie (chrom)

W: William Glen, circa 1825
Scottish folk song
Key: G

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A wee bird cam’ to our ha’ door,

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⁠He warbled sweet and clearly,

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An’ aye the o’ercome o’ his sang

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⁠Was “Wae’s me for Prince Charlie!”

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Oh! when I heard the bonnie soun’

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⁠The tears cam’ happin’ rarely,

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I took my bannet aff my head,

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⁠For weel I lo’ed Prince Charlie.

Quoth I, “My bird, my bonnie bonnie bird,
⁠Is that a sang ye borrow,
Are these some words ye’ve learnt by heart,
⁠Or a lilt o’ dool an’ sorrow?”
“Oh! no no no,” the wee bird sang,
⁠”I’ve flown sin’ mornin’ early,
But sic a day o’ wind and rain—
⁠Oh! wae’s me for Prince Charlie!

“On hills that are, by right, his ain
⁠He roves a lanely stranger,
On every side he’s press’d by want,
⁠On every side is danger;
Yestreen I met him in a glen,
⁠My heart maist burstit fairly,
For sadly chang’d indeed was he—
⁠Oh! wae’s me for Prince Charlie!

“Dark night cam’ on, the tempest roar’d
⁠Loud o’er the hills an valleys,
An’ whare was’t that your Prince lay down
⁠Whase hame should been a palace?
Ha row’d him in a Highland plaid,
⁠Which cover’d him but sparely,
An’ slept beneath a bush o’ broom—
⁠Oh! wae’s me for Prince Charlie!”

But now the bird saw some red coats,
⁠An’ he sheuk his wings wi’ anger,
“Oh! this is no a land for me,
⁠I’ll tarry here nae langer.”
He hover’d on the wing a while
⁠Ere he departed fairly,
But weel I mind the fareweel strain
⁠Was, “Wae’s me for Prince Charlie!”