John Maclean, A Lament

Driven fae her heilan hame,
as ancient cultures’ set aflame,
Eden’s lilting leid tae tame,
tae Paisley toon, whaur weavers’ loom,
by Pollockshaws, MacLean’s her name,
indentured tae the Empire’s boom.

Her youngest son, trod streets decayed,
in Ivory Towers he honed his trade,
an fashioned plans his mind had made,
tae teach the world it’s ne’er in vain,
illicit empires fa’ and fade,
his name wis known as John MacLean.

As rich men strut, an bosses’ smirk,
in bowlered boast they blaw and irk,
roon royal circles, sneer and smirk,
while honest men seek fair wage work,
sic Holy Wullies in their Kirk,
in toons whaur filth and fevers lurk.

Yon forlorn faces - hauf starved weans,
disease an sickness, stalk their veins,
the price we piy whaur profit reigns.
He’d railed against sic filth an squalor;
unshackle workers fae their chains,
condemn the pound an deil’s ain dollar.

While mony miles fae hearth an hame,
The Somme, Ypres and Verdun maim,
men cam awa, bent, brek an lame;
bit shares ur high an profits great!
the gluttony conceals their shame,
sic slaughter they pontificate.

Sae in factory, toon or workers booth,
MacLean exposed their lies and ruithe,
courageously, proclaiming truth,
“They’re dripping blood”, there is nae doot;
as hob boots bang by martial youth,
bluids runnin free, “from head to foot”.

It’s war and greed we need destroy,
ne’re cannons oan oor freens deploy,
or dreadnought ships in war convoy,
ower foreign lands, tae fa’ an bleed!
Seek Peace and Justice, Luv an Joy;
ne-re Empire profits - power or greed.

Bit despite the truth o whit he’d teach,
contrived State laws supressed free speech,
afraid o’ truth, they cling and leech,
Impeach! an heich, an falsely hail,
fir King and country, pitch an screech,
condemn MacLean tae Calton jail.

Barlinnie then tae Peterheid,
they feared his pen - whit he’d screed,
he lived his truth; wid ne’re concede,
a hunger protest did embrace,
the cowardly State did force his feed,
a martyr’s death, they canny face!

And in that lanely forlorn place,
a cauld dank cell he dowily paced,
wi failing health he bravely faced,
ance freedom gained, he focht fir breath,
an buir it aw, wi strength an grace,
till battle’s done…… untimely death.

Ower mines an shipyerds seelence stoond,
Tae feel this raw an savage wound,
a coronach fae freens – expound,
withoot MacLean whit wid hiv been?
O’ victories won that proved profoond,
a parting gless fir rid and green.

A cortege bides, black hoarses laze,
an fowk ootwith their windaes gaze,
a wee burd flees it’s breest ablaze,
as bobbin bunnets, snake in motion,
a portent o’ sic troubled days,
aneath dreich skies fae Clyde tae ocean.

Bit mony flags, o’ saltire blue,
ower Glesga’s streets they proodly flew,
fae sandstone cills in crimson hue,
while solemn faces maircht tae Saul,
tae Eastwood’s final rendezvous,
in ghostly tones, they heard his call.

Guid threapit wurds doon decades ring,
whaur time nor tide placate their sting,
as wars still rage for pouer and King,
while mithers keen and faithers cruint,
An folks their souchin sad sangs sing.
Anither generation’s ruint.

Sae command the forge o’ comrades be,
proclaim a Scotland just and free,
an tame the lash o’ Barley Bree;
extend our hauns - oor hearts - oor hearth.
Fur aw Jock Tamson’s bairns tae see,
whaur anely ploughshares pierce this earth.



GLOSSARY:

heilan – highland
Leid – language
Whaur – where
Blaw – blow
Sic – such
Deil’s – Devil’s
Cam – came
Brek – broke
Sae – So
Ruithe – Nonsense talk
Doot – doubt
Bluids – blood
Freens – friends
Ower – over
Heich – talk disdainfully in a loud voice
Screed – a long speech or piece of writing
Lanely – lonely
Cauld – cold
Dowily – mournfully
Ance – once
Foucht -fought
Buir – bore
Seelence – silence
Stoond – Stunned in emotional pain
Coronach – lament for the dead
Profoond – profound
Gless – glass
Hoarses – Horses
Fowk – folk
Ootwith – outwith
Windaes – Windows
Burd – Bird
Aneath – beneath/below
Mony – many
Proodly – proudly
Maircht – marched
Guid – good
Threapit – controversial
Pouer – power
Cruint – A wail or lament
Souchin – soft sighing noise
Sangs – songs
Anither – another
Ruint – ruined
Hauns – hands
Anely - only