Both Sides the Tweed
Dick Gaughan| Original | La versione in The Jacobite Reliques 1819 |
| BOTH SIDES THE TWEED What's the spring-breathing jasmine and rose? What's the summer with all its gay train Or the splendour of autumn to those Who've bartered their freedom for gain? Let the love of our land's sacred rights To the love of our people succeed Let friendship and honour unite And flourish on both sides the Tweed No sweetness the senses can cheer Which corruption and bribery bind No brightness that gloom can e'er clear For honour's the sum of the mind Let the love of our land's sacred rights To the love of our people succeed Let friendship and honour unite And flourish on both sides the Tweed Let virtue distinguish the brave Place riches in lowest degree Think them poorest who can be a slave Them richest who dare to be free Let the love of our land's sacred rights To the love of our people succeed Let friendship and honour unite And flourish on both sides the Tweed | THE JACOBITE RELIQUES 1819 What’s the spring-breathingjess’mine and rose, What’s the summer, with all its gay train, Or the plenty of autumn, to those Who’ve bartered their freedom for gain? Chorus Let the love of our king’s sacred right (1) To the love of our country succeed; Let friendship and honour unite, And flourish on both sides the Tweed. No sweetness the senses can cheer, Which corruption and bribery blind; No brightness that gloom e’er can clear, For honour’s the sun of the mind. IV Let virtue distinguish the brave, Place riches in lowest degree; Think him poorest who can be a slave, Him richest who dares to be free. V Let us think how our ancestors rose, Let us think how our ancestors fell, The rights they defended, and those They bought with their blood we’ll ne’er sell. |
(1) Già Robert Burns aveva denunciato l'Unione come un accordo commerciale e i parlamentari scozzesi "comprati e venduti in cambio dell'oro inglese" ma la questione più spinosa fu anche la successone alla Corona affinchè fosse sempre il ramo protestante della dinastia Stuart a regnare. Alla fine l'ultimo cattolico degli Stuart a rivendicare la corona fu il "Bonnie Prince Charlie" che trovò la sconfitta a Culloden e con lui i clan Highlanders che lo sostenevano: la ritorsione fu dura e drastica con l'interdizione alla Scozia di manifestare la propria identità culturale. |
