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Sowers and Reapers (Trilogy)

from Traces of Freedom by Alan Dickson

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about

Written in 1882 by William Allan, one of the earliest set of lyrics to rail against ‘laird-fashioned laws’ and to show an understanding of land values.

lyrics

A’ Ye wha farm Auld Scotland’s soil!
A’ Ye whase life is tillage toil!
A’ Ye wha ne’er frae Right recoil!
List to my rhyme;
A Scotsman like yersel’s, I swear
I lo’e my country passin’ dear;
Be this my passport to each ear
At this need-time.

Hear me, ye thinkin’ sons o’ men,
Ye soil-sprung stock frae strath an’ glen,
Whose aim is aye to do an’ken
The truly right;
Hear me. Behold the wrongs o’ years,
Lang watered wi’ your toil and tears,
Hae blossomed, an’ the fruit appears
Before your sight.

God sends nae ills without the cures,
He points the way that weal secures,
Sae this lang-looked-for hairst is yours
Sair wrangs to stop
Up! reap there from wi' heart an' soul
An’ as your lairds the earth control,
Now bauldly gar the eat the whole
O’ this new crop.

When land was stown wi’ spears an’ swords,
An’ lairds were made by kingly words,
The earth nae langer was the Lord’s,
To keep His creatures.
Lairds’ laws were framed by lairds, that they
Might o’er their stolen acres sway,
An’ grind the sowers as they may,
Wi’ despot natures.

Ah! Then mankind was puir an’ weak,
An’ Learnin’s light was but a peek
That few e’er saw, or cared to seek,
For fear o’ death;
Hence, while by laird-oppression bound,
As slaves they tilled for lairds the ground,
An’ ‘gainst their laws nae chiel was found
To raise a breath.

But times are changed! The schule an’ pen
Hae taught a’ sowers now to ken
That lairds are just like ither men,
Gey common clay;
Besides, this lesson nobbly grand, -
Lairds hae nae right to tax the land!
Is felt as a Divine command
A’ maun obey.

An’ shall the toil which has been spent
In shine an’ storm, wi’ sweat unkent,
Be but a landlord’s guage o’ rent
For farmer bodies?
No! No! fouk hae right to gi’e
Their labour for starvation’s fee;
Wha are sae simple, sure maun be
No’ men, but cuddies.

Why should the lairds be reapers o’
The profits which should surely go
To those wha harrow, plough an’ sow,
An’ bear the stress?
Is it because they bought the land?
Then let an ord’nar’ int’rest stand
The measure o’ their rent-demand,
Nae mair, nae less.

Is it because o’ titles auld
Bestowed on some ancestor bauld,
Wha had some reivers sairly mauled,
Syne stole their lands?
Or is’t because God has decreed
That some should aff their neebors feed,
An’ never feel the nip o’ need,
Or fyle their hands?

Whate’er the cause, the factor creed
O’ ruthless selfishness an’ greed
Has brought Nemesis wi’ full speed
Upon their heids!
Scots sowers to their rights hae woke!
Nae mair they’ll bear the bitter yoke
O’ keepin’ useless gentry folk
For taxin’ deeds.

Strong in the holy sense of right,
Behold them a’ as ane unite
To free the soil frae that curst blight
Laird-fashioned laws.
O! sowers, be ye o’ guid cheer,
Frae Justice’ path ne’er swerve or veer,
Your reapers’ rage ye needna fear,
God speeds your cause.

credits

from Traces of Freedom, released November 6, 2015
Music by Alan Dickson

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Alan Dickson Glasgow, UK

Scottish singer songwriter Alan Dickson was born in Leith but now based in Glasgow. Alan writes about life in Scotland and beyond, mainly of a personal and political nature.

Descended from a Leith docker, he remarks: "as life mimics art I'm just like my grandfather, only he used a rivet gun and I use a guitar."

Among his influences are Robert Burns, Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan and Dick Gaughan. ... more

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