O cruel is the snow That sweeps glencoe And covers the grave o donald And cruel was the foe That raped glencoe And murderd the house of Macdonald They came in a blizzard We offered them heat A roof o'er their heads Dry shoes for their feet We wined them and dined them They ate of our meat And they slept in the house of Macdonald O cruel is the snow That sweeps glencoe And covers the grave o donald And cruel was the foe That raped glencoe And murderd the house of Macdonald They came from fort william Wi' murder in mind The campbells had orders King william had signed Put all to the sword These words were underlined And leave none alive called Macdonald
O cruel is the snow That sweeps glencoe And covers the grave o donald And cruel was the foe That raped glencoe And murderd the house of Macdonald They came in the night When the men were asleep This band o' argyles Through snow soft and deep Like murdering foxes Among helpless sheep They slaughtered the house of Macdonald O cruel is the snow That sweeps glencoe And covers the grave o donald And cruel was the foe That raped glencoe And murderd the house of Macdonald Some died in their beds At the hand of the foe Some fled in the night And were lost in the snow Some lived to accuse him That struck the first blow But gone was the house of Macdonald