Johnnie Cope

Cope sent a challenge frae Dunbar,
"Charlie, meet me, an' ye daur,
And I'll learn you the art of war,
If you'll meet me in the mornin'."

Hey, Johnnie Cope! Are ye waukin yet?
Or are your drums a-beatin' yet?
If ye were waukin I would wait
To gang to the coals in the morning.

When Charlie looked this letter upon,
He drew his sword the scabbard from,
"Come follow me, my merry men,
An' we'll meet Johnnie Cope in the morning."

Hey, Johnnie Cope! Are ye waukin yet?
Or are your drums a-beatin' yet?
If ye were waukin I would wait
To gang to the coals in the morning.

"Noo, Johnnie, be as good as your word,
And try your faith with fire and sword,
And dinna flee awa' like a frightened bird
That's chased frae its nest in the morning."

Hey, Johnnie Cope! Are ye waukin yet?
Or are your drums a-beatin' yet?
If ye were waukin I would wait
To gang to the coals in the morning.

When Johnnie Cope he heard o' this,
He thocht it wouldna be amiss
To hae a horse in readiness,
For to flee awa' in the morning.

Hey, Johnnie Cope! Are ye waukin yet?
Or are your drums a-beatin' yet?
If ye were waukin I would wait
To gang to the coals in the morning.

"C'wa now, Johnnie, get up and rin,
The Hieland bagpipes mak a din,
It's best to sleep in a hale skin,
It will be a bloodie morning."

Hey, Johnnie Cope! Are ye waukin yet?
Or are your drums a-beatin' yet?
If ye were waukin I would wait
To gang to the coals in the morning.

When Johnnie Cope to Dunbar came,
They speired at him, "Where's a' your men?"
"The deil confound me gin I ken,
For I left them a' this morning."

Hey, Johnnie Cope! Are ye waukin yet?
Or are your drums a-beatin' yet?
If ye were waukin I would wait
To gang to the coals in the morning.

"Noo, Johnnie, troth, ye were na blate,
To leave your men in sic a strait,
And come wi' the news o' your ain defeat
Sae early in the morning."

Hey, Johnnie Cope! Are ye waukin yet?
Or are your drums a-beatin' yet?
If ye were waukin I would wait
To gang to the coals in the morning.

"In faith," quo' Johnnie, "I got sic flegs
Wi' their claymores and filabegs,
If I face them again, deil break my legs,
So I wish you a' good morning."

Hey, Johnnie Cope! Are ye waukin yet?
Or are your drums a-beatin' yet?
If ye were waukin I would wait
To gang to the coals in the morning.

-----------------------------------
daur - dare
waukin - waking
gang - go
noo - now
dinna - do not
thocht - thought
hae - have
C'wa - Come away
rin - run
hale - whole
speired - asked
deil - devil
gin - if
ken - know
blate - bashful
sic - such
flegs - blows
claymores and filabegs - Highland swords and kilts