Macpherson's Farewell (1)
By Robert Burns
Farewell, ye dungeons dark and strong,
The wretch’s destinie!
Macpherson’s time will not be long
On yonder gallows-tree.
Sae rantingly, sae wantonly,
Sae dauntingly gaed he;
He play’d a spring, and danc’d it round,
Below the gallows-tree.
Macpherson's Farewell (2)
Oh, what is death but parting breath?
On many a bloody plain
I’ve dar’d his face, and in this place
I scorn him yet again!
Macpherson's Farewell (3)
Untie these bands from off my hands,
And bring to me my sword;
And there’s no a man in all Scotland,
But I’ll brave him at a word.
Macpherson's Farewell (4)
I’ve liv’d a life of sturt and strife;
I die by treacherie:
It burns my heart I must depart,
And not avenged be.
Macpherson's Farewell (5)
Now farewell light — thou sunshine bright,
And all beneath the sky!
May coward shame distain his name,
The wretch that dares not die!
Sae rantingly, sae wantonly,
Sae dauntingly gaed he;
He play’d a spring, and danc’d it round,
Below the gallows-tree.
Poem Analysis:
“Macpherson’s Farewell,” written by Robert Burns, is a fiery and defiant poem that dramatizes the final moments of James Macpherson, a legendary Scottish outlaw, poet, and fiddler who was hanged in 1700. This piece blends folk narrative, rebellion, and existential courage into a powerful poetic farewell that glorifies personal honor over social law. Through vigorous rhythm, spirited language, and a strong sense of injustice, Burns immortalizes Macpherson as a symbol of resistance against tyranny and heroic individuality.
Historical and Cultural Context
James Macpherson was reputed to be a Robin Hood-like figure—an outlaw of mixed Highland and Romani descent who stole from the rich and helped the poor. Legend has it that he was an exceptional fiddler and composed this song shortly before his execution. The story goes that he played the tune under the gallows, broke his fiddle, and leapt to his death before the executioner could hang him.
Burns, writing more than a century later, saw in Macpherson a romantic hero — unjustly condemned by corrupt authorities. By retelling Macpherson’s last moments, Burns connects with Scottish cultural identity, the spirit of defiance against oppression, and the valorization of freedom and honor.
“Farewell, ye dungeons dark and strong, / The wretch’s destinie!...”
The speaker bids farewell to prison with irony and sarcasm. “The wretch’s destinie” suggests a fate unjustly imposed. Even facing death, Macpherson displays dignity and courage, not fear. The refrain shows him dancing defiantly, turning the gallows into a stage for his final act.
“Oh, what is death but parting breath?...”
Macpherson trivializes death, having braved it countless times in battle. He presents it not as terror but as a transition, facing it with stoicism and pride. The stanza elevates the speaker to the level of a warrior, not a criminal.
“Untie these bands from off my hands, / And bring to me my sword…”
This stanza expresses righteous indignation. Macpherson challenges any man in Scotland to face him in combat. He demands the chance to fight with dignity rather than die restrained, showcasing his warrior ethos and personal honor.
“I’ve liv’d a life of sturt and strife; / I die by treacherie...”
Here, the speaker shifts from defiance to lamentation. “Treacherie” suggests betrayal—not just by a person, but perhaps by the legal and political systems. It introduces the theme of injustice, framing Macpherson as a martyr rather than a villain.
“Now farewell light — thou sunshine bright...”
Macpherson bids farewell to life itself, embracing death without regret. In his final words, he condemns cowardice—“May coward shame distain his name, / The wretch that dares not die!” He sets an ideal of courage in the face of fate, even romanticizing death as a kind of triumph.
The closing refrain returns once more, cementing his final act of dancing beneath the gallows as a symbol of freedom, defiance, and eternal honor.
Themes and Symbols
- Defiance in the Face of Death: Macpherson's fearless approach to execution celebrates individual freedom over institutional control. Death becomes a test of character rather than a punishment.
- Injustice and Betrayal: The poem strongly suggests that Macpherson’s death is the result of treachery, not justice, critiquing the corrupt legal system and championing the underdog.
- Heroism and Honor: Macpherson lives and dies by a code of personal honor, rejecting cowardice, even elevating death to a noble act when done fearlessly.
- Freedom vs. Oppression: Burns aligns Macpherson with the oppressed and the outlawed — a folk hero crushed by tyranny, yet victorious in spirit.
- Art as Resistance: Macpherson playing his fiddle and dancing at his own hanging portrays art as defiance, using music to assert life in the face of death.
“Macpherson’s Farewell” is more than an outlaw’s last words — it is a nationalistic ballad of rebellion and bravery, rooted in Scotland’s historical resistance to authoritarianism. Burns turns Macpherson into a tragic hero who dies with passion, courage, and dignity. The poem immortalizes the spirit of freedom, inspiring readers to face injustice and mortality not with submission, but with unflinching pride.
It remains one of Burns’s most dramatic and spirited works — a folk anthem for the defiant soul.