Admin Comment by Sinclair on September 20, 2014 at 6:14pm

Admin Comment by Bean on September 20, 2014 at 9:13pm

This song was written in 1960 by Hamish Henderson. It is in the Scots Language. The tune is adapted from John McLellan's pipe march "The Bloody Fields of Flanders". Henderson described it as "expressing my hopes for Scotland, and for the survival of humanity on this beleagured planet."

Admin Comment by Bean on September 20, 2014 at 9:36pm

Freedom Come All Ye

(Scots - English - explanation)

Roch the win i the clear day's dawin
Blaws the clouds heilster-gowdie owre the bay
But thair's mair nor a roch win blawin
Thro the Great Glen o the warl the day

It's a rough wind in the clear day's dawning
Blows the clouds head-over-heels across the bay
But there's more than a rough wind blowing
Through the Great Glen of the world today

the Great Glen is the rift valley which runs diagonally across Scotland, roughly separating Highland and Lowland Scotland, and is used here as a symbol of division, inequality, racism, exploitation and prejudice

It's a thocht that wad gar our rottans

It's a thought that would make our rodents,

in this context "rottans" can also be interpreted as "vermin"; it is a reference to opportunists, exploiters

Aa thae rogues that gang gallus fresh an gay
Tak the road an seek ither loanins
Wi thair ill-ploys tae sport an play

All those rogues who strut and swagger,
Take the road and seek other pastures
To carry out their wicked schemes

Nae mair will our bonnie callants
Merch tae war whan our braggarts crousely craw

No more will our fine young men
March to war at the behest of jingoists and imperialists

"crousely craw" has echoes of the carrion crow, the scavenger; these two lines are refering to the number of young Scots who joined the British Army out of dire economic necessity and were sent to colonised nations to do unto them what had previously been done unto us

Nor wee weans frae pitheid an clachan
Murn the ships sailin doun the Broomielaw

Nor will young children from mining communities and rural hamlets
Mourn the ships sailing off down the River Clyde

this reference to "ships sailing" carries a double image, that of the emigrant ships and also of warships. The images of mining and rural communities are used to bring together industrial and rural Scotland as one.

Broken faimilies in launs we've hairriet
Will curse "Scotlan the Brave" nae mair, nae mair

Broken families in lands we've helped to oppress
will never again have reason to curse the sound of advancing Scots

here "Scotland the Brave" refers to the sound of bagpipes announcing the arrival of Scots troops, a sound which came to be feared throughout the British Empire

Black an white ane-til-ither mairriet
Mak the vile barracks o thair maisters bare

Black and white, united in friendship and marriage,
Will result in the military garrisons being adandoned and empty

i.e., will bring an end to Imperialism.

 ... continued

Admin Comment by Bean on September 20, 2014 at 9:37pm

...Sae come aa ye at hame wi freedom

So come all you who love freedom

"at hame wi", literally "at home with" can have several meanings in this context - who live with, who love, who already have

Never heed whit the houdies croak for Doom

Pay no attention to the prophets of doom

the "houdie" is another reference to the carrion crow

In yer hous aa the bairns o Aidam
Will fin breid, barley-bree an paintit room

In your house all the children of Adam
Will be welcomed with food, drink and hospitality

the unwritten laws of hospitality are historically sacred to the Scots

Whan MacLean meets wi's friens in Springburn

When the spirit of John MacLean returns to his people

John MacLean, Glasgow schoolteacher and anti-imperialist

Aa thae roses an geeans will turn tae blume
An a black laud frae yont Nyanga
Dings the fell gallows o the burghers doun.

All the flowers will blossom
And black Africa will bring crashing down
All Imperialism's dreadful apparatus of oppression

"dings doun", literally "tears down"

Comment by david omweno ongori on September 22, 2014 at 3:31am

Very great song.

Yahushua bless you.

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