Flowers of the Forest

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Flowers of the Forest is an ancient Scottish folk tune. Although the original words are unknown, the melody was recorded in c. 1630 as part of the John Skene of Halyards Manuscript as "Flowers of the Forrest," though it's composition date is lost to the mists of time ^[1] .

"Flowers of the Forrest" as transcribed in the Skene Manuscript, c. 1630

Much later, Jean Elliot (b. 1727), aided in part by popular poetry selections, reframed the tune as a lament to the deaths of James IV, many of his nobles, and over 10,000 men - the titular "Flowers of the Forest" - at the Battle of Flodden Field in northern England in 1513, a significant event in the history of Scotland. The song, written in Scots, is also known as The Floo'ers o' the Forest (are a' wede away) and describes the grief of women and children at the loss of their young men. In some ways the song echoes the poem Y Gododdin about a similar defeat in about 600.

Powerful solo bagpipe versions of the song are used at services of remembrance, funerals, and other occasions; many in the Commonwealth know the tune simply as "The Lament" which is played at Remembrance Day or Remembrance Sunday ceremonies to commemorate war dead.

The first verse of the song contrasts happier times with grief at the losses:

I've heard the lilting, at the yowe-milking,

Lasses a-lilting before dawn o' day;

But now they are moaning on ilka green loaning;

"The Flowers of the Forest are a' wede away".

Translating uncommon words, this could read:

I've heard the singing, at the ewe-milking,

Lasses a-singing before dawn of the day;

But now they are moaning on every milking-green;

"The Flowers of the Forest are all withered away".

The song is mentioned in The Scots Musical Museum as The flowres of the Forrest, and the air (or tune) apparently survived, but several versions of the words were written down later, the most usual being by Jean Elliot published about 1755 - see links below.

A song by the Scots/Australian singer-songwriter Eric Bogle, "No Man's Land", contains repeated reference to Flowers of the Forest, and muses over the grave of a World War I soldier.

The song has been covered by Fairport Convention and June Tabor, and matches Bogle's "And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda", about the Gallipoli landings in the same war. The chorus from this song was also featured in the Johnny Cash song "Streets of Laredo."