| Chorus
|
| Hey, Johnnie Cope, are ye wauking yet?
|
| Or are your drums a-beating yet?
|
| If ye were wauking I wad wait
|
| To gang to the coals i' the morning.
|
| Cope sent a challenge frae Dunbar:
|
| 'Charlie, meet me an' ye daur,
|
| An' I’ll learn you the art o' war
|
| If you’ll meet me i' the morning.'
|
| Chorus
|
| When Charlie looked the letter upon
|
| 'Come, follow me, my merry merry men,
|
| And we’ll meet Johnnie Cope i' the morningl
|
| Chorus
|
| 'Now Johnnie, be as good’s your word;
|
| Come, let us try both fire and sword;
|
| And dinna rin like a frichted bird,
|
| That’s chased frae its nest i' the morning.'
|
| Chorus
|
| When Johnnie Cope he heard of this,
|
| He thought it wadna be amiss
|
| To hae a horse in readiness,
|
| To flee awa' i' the morning.
|
| Chorus
|
| Fy now, Johnnie, get up an' rin;
|
| The Highland bagpipes mak' a din;
|
| It’s best to sleep in a hale skin,
|
| For 'twill be a bluidy morning.
|
| Chorus
|
| When Johnnie Cope tae Dunbar came,
|
| They speired at him, 'Where's a' your men?'
|
| 'The deil confound me gin I ken,
|
| For I left them a' i' the morning.
|
| Chorus
|
| 'Now Johnnie, troth, ye werena blate
|
| To come wi' news o' your ain defeat,
|
| And leave your men in sic a strait
|
| Sae early in the morning.
|
| Chorus
|
| 'I' faith,' quo' Johnnie, 'I got sic flegs
|
| Wi' their claymores an' philabegs;
|
| If I face them again, deil break my legs!
|
| Sae I wish you a' gude morning'.
|
| Chorus |