The Book of Scottish Song/Macgregor's Gathering

Macgregor's Gathering.

[These verses were written by Sir Walter Scott for Albyn's Anthology in 1816. They are adapted to a very wild, yet lively gathering-tune, used by the Macgregors. The severe treatment of this clan, their outlawry, and the very proscription of their name, are alluded to here.]

The moon's on the lake, and the mist's on the brae,
And the clan has a name that is nameless by day—
Then gather, gather, gather, Grigalach!

Our signal for fight, which from monarchs we drew,
Must be heard but by night, in our vengeful halloo—
Then halloo, halloo, halloo, Grigalach!

Glenorchy's proud mountains, Calchuirn and her towers,
Glenstrae, and Glenlyon, no longer are curs—
We're landless, landless, landless, Grigalach!

But, doomed and devoted by vassal and lord,
Macgregor has still both his heart and his sword—
Then courage, courage, courage, Grigalach!

If they rob us of name, and pursue us with beagles,
Give their roof to the flames, and their flesh to the eagles—
Then vengeance, vengeance, vengeance, Grigalach!

While there's leaves on the forest, or foam on the river,
Macgregor, despite them, shall flourish for ever!
Then gather, gather, gather, Grigalach!

---