The TWA Weelums

Item

The TWA Weelums

I'm Sairgeant Weelum Henderson frae Pairth,

That's wha I am!

There's just ae regimint in a' the airth

That's worth a damn;

An' gin the bonniest fechter o' the lot

Ye seek to see,

Him that's the best -- whaur ilka man's a Scot --

Speir you at me!

Gin there's a hash o' Gairmans pitten oot

By aichts an' tens,

That Wully Henderson's been thereaboot

A'body kens;

Fegs-aye ! Yon Weelum that's in Gairmanie,

He hadna' reckoned

Wi' Sairgint Weelum Henderson an' wi'

The Forty-Second!

Yon day we lichtit on the shores o' France,

The lassies standin'

Trod ilk on ither's taes to get the chance

To see us landin'.

The besoms! O they smiled to me -- an' yet

They couldna' help it.

(Mysel', I just was thinkin' foo we'd get

They Gairmans skelpit.)

I'm wearied wi' them, for it's aye the same

Whaure'er we gang,

Oor Captain thinks we've got his een to blame,

But man! he's wrang!

I winna say he's no as smairt a lad

As ye micht see

Atween twa Sawbiths -- aye, he's no sae bad,

But he's no me!

Weel, let the limmers bide; their bonnie lips

Are fine an' reid,

But me an' Weelum's got to get to grips

Afore we're deid,

An' gin he thinks he hasna' met his match

He'll sune be wiser --

Here's to mysel'! Here's to the auld Black Watch!

An' damn the Kaiser!

Title
The TWA Weelums
Identifier
greatwar_cunliffe063
Media
<html xmlns:tei="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0"><body><h1 align="center" class="head">The TWA Weelums</h1><div class="stanza"><p class="line"><span class="smallcaps">I'm</span> Sairgeant Weelum Henderson frae Pairth,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:4%">That's wha I am!</p><p class="line">There's just ae regimint in a' the airth</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:4%">That's worth a damn;</p><p class="line">An' gin the bonniest fechter o' the lot</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:4%">Ye seek to see,</p><p class="line">Him that's the best -- <em>whaur ilka man's a Scot</em> --</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:4%">Speir you at me!</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">Gin there's a hash o' Gairmans pitten oot</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:4%">By aichts an' tens,</p><p class="line">That Wully Henderson's been thereaboot</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:4%">A'body kens;</p><p class="line">Fegs-aye ! Yon Weelum that's in Gairmanie,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:4%">He hadna' reckoned</p><p class="line">Wi' Sairgint Weelum Henderson an' wi'</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:4%">The Forty-Second!</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">Yon day we lichtit on the shores o' France,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:4%">The lassies standin'</p><p class="line">Trod ilk on ither's taes to get the chance</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:4%">To see us landin'.</p><p class="line">The besoms! O they smiled to me -- an' yet</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:4%">They couldna' help it.</p><p class="line">(Mysel', I just was thinkin' foo we'd get</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:4%">They Gairmans skelpit.)</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">I'm wearied wi' them, for it's aye the same</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:4%">Whaure'er we gang,</p><p class="line">Oor Captain thinks we've got his een to blame,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:4%">But man! he's wrang!</p><p class="line">I winna say he's no as smairt a lad</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:4%">As ye micht see</p><p class="line">Atween twa Sawbiths -- aye, he's no sae bad,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:4%">But he's no me!</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">Weel, let the limmers bide; their bonnie lips</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:4%">Are fine an' reid,</p><p class="line">But me an' Weelum's got to get to grips</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:4%">Afore we're deid,</p><p class="line">An' gin he thinks he hasna' met his match</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:4%">He'll sune be wiser --</p><p class="line">Here's to mysel'! Here's to the auld Black Watch!</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:4%">An' damn the Kaiser!</p></div><p class="byline">-- Violet Jacob.</p></body></html>