• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Poetry Catalog

We honor great poets. We honor great poetry.

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Submit Your Work
  • Writers
  • Advertising / Subscription

Ballad on the American War, By: Robert Burns

October 19, 2026 by Editors

pc

When Guilford good our pilot stood
An’ did our hellim thraw, man,
Ae night, at tea, began a plea,
Within America, man:
Then up they gat the maskin-pat,
And in the sea did jaw, man;
An’ did nae less, in full congress,
Than quite refuse our law, man.

Then thro’ the lakes Montgomery takes,
I wat he was na slaw, man;
Down Lowrie’s Burn he took a turn,
And Carleton did ca’, man:
But yet, whatreck, he, at Quebec,
Montgomery-like did fa’, man,
Wi’ sword in hand, before his band,
Amang his en’mies a’, man.

Poor Tammy Gage within a cage
Was kept at Boston—ha’, man;
Till Willie Howe took o’er the knowe
For Philadelphia, man;
Wi’ sword an’ gun he thought a sin
Guid Christian bluid to draw, man;
But at New York, wi’ knife an’ fork,
Sir-Loin he hacked sma’, man.

Burgoyne gaed up, like spur an’ whip,
Till Fraser brave did fa’, man;
Then lost his way, ae misty day,
In Saratoga shaw, man.
Cornwallis fought as lang’s he dought,
An’ did the Buckskins claw, man;
But Clinton’s glaive frae rust to save,
He hung it to the wa’, man.

Then Montague, an’ Guilford too,
Began to fear, a fa’, man;
And Sackville dour, wha stood the stour,
The German chief to thraw, man:
For Paddy Burke, like ony Turk,
Nae mercy had at a’, man;
An’ Charlie Fox threw by the box,
An’ lows’d his tinkler jaw, man.

Then Rockingham took up the game,
Till death did on him ca’, man;
When Shelburne meek held up his cheek,
Conform to gospel law, man:
Saint Stephen’s boys, wi’ jarring noise,
They did his measures thraw, man;
For North an’ Fox united stocks,
An’ bore him to the wa’, man.

Then clubs an’ hearts were Charlie’s cartes,
He swept the stakes awa’, man,
Till the diamond’s ace, of Indian race,
Led him a sair faux pas, man:
The Saxon lads, wi’ loud placads,
On Chatham’s boy did ca’, man;
An’ Scotland drew her pipe an’ blew,
“Up, Willie, waur them a’, man!”

Behind the throne then Granville’s gone,
A secret word or twa, man;
While slee Dundas arous’d the class
Be-north the Roman wa’, man:
An’ Chatham’s wraith, in heav’nly graith,
(Inspired bardies saw, man),
Wi’ kindling eyes, cry’d, “Willie, rise!
Would I hae fear’d them a’, man?”

But, word an’ blow, North, Fox, and Co.
Gowff’d Willie like a ba’, man;
Till Suthron raise, an’ coost their claise
Behind him in a raw, man:
An’ Caledon threw by the drone,
An’ did her whittle draw, man;
An’ swoor fu’ rude, thro’ dirt an’ bluid,
To mak it guid in law, man.

Read all of Robert Burns's poems · About Robert Burns

More by Robert Burns

  • Reply to an Announcement by J. Rankine on His Writing to the Poet
  • Epistle to John Rankine
  • A Poet's Welcome to His Love-Begotten Daughter
  • O Leave Novels
  • Fragment: The Mauchline Lady

Write poetry? Submit your poem to Poetry Catalog

Share this:

  • Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr
  • Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest

Related

Filed Under: Poems

Get Every Post In Your Inbox 😳

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.
(This is not the newsletter.)

Primary Sidebar

Never Miss A Poem (Newsletter)

Be Social

  • X
  • Facebook

Top Posts & Pages

  • Ghosts, By: Emily Dickinson
    Ghosts, By: Emily Dickinson
  • Poetry Submission Deadlines November 2026
    Poetry Submission Deadlines November 2026
  • I Had No Time To Hate, Because, By: Emily Dickinson
    I Had No Time To Hate, Because, By: Emily Dickinson
  • Sonnets Upon The Punishment Of Death - In Series, 1839 – IV - Is 'Death', When Evil Against Good Has Fought, By: William Wordsworth
    Sonnets Upon The Punishment Of Death - In Series, 1839 – IV - Is 'Death', When Evil Against Good Has Fought, By: William Wordsworth
  • November, By: Emily Dickinson
    November, By: Emily Dickinson
  • On The Power Of Sound, By: William Wordsworth
    On The Power Of Sound, By: William Wordsworth
  • I'm Nobody! Who Are You? Summary and Analysis
    I'm Nobody! Who Are You? Summary and Analysis
  • Rest And Be Thankful! - At The Head Of Glencroe, By: William Wordsworth
    Rest And Be Thankful! - At The Head Of Glencroe, By: William Wordsworth
  • Through Lane It Lay, Through Bramble, By: Emily Dickinson
    Through Lane It Lay, Through Bramble, By: Emily Dickinson
  • Guilt And Sorrow Or Incidents Upon Salisbury Plain, By: William Wordsworth
    Guilt And Sorrow Or Incidents Upon Salisbury Plain, By: William Wordsworth

Advertising/Subscribing = Loving

Buy Me A Coffee

Footer

Made with ❤ in Lubbock, TX.

Public Domain Poetry

Poetry Catalog Sponsors

Haiku Examples

Search

Copyright © 2026 · Magazine Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in