Anne Hunter: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

Indian Death Song

Anne Hunter

“Indian Death Song” as printed in The Book of Scottish Song (1843).

Anne Hunter: Collected Lyrics Text 2 1843 · historical text
Public domainScottish songFolk
Complete public-domain lyrics

This text comes from The Book of Scottish Song, edited by Alexander Whitelaw, a historical songbook transcribed on Wikisource and reproduced from the pinned revision linked below.

Verse 1

The sun sets in night, and the stars shun the day,

But glory remains when their lights fade away.

Begin, ye tormentors, your threats are in vain,

For the son of Alknomook will never complain.

Remember the arrows he shot from his bow;

Remember your chiefs by his hatchet laid low.

Why so slow? Do you wait till I shrink from the pain?

No! the son of Alknomook shall never complain.

Remember the wood where in ambush we lay,

And the scalps which we bore from your nation away:

Now the flame rises fast; ye exult in my pain;

But the son of Alknomook can never complain.

I go to the land where my father is gone;

His ghost shall rejoice in the fame of his son.

Death comes like a friend, to relieve me from pain;

And thy son, O Alknomook, has scrn'd to complain!

Credits

Written by Anne Hunter

Words by Anne Hunter. Historical text published in The Book of Scottish Song (1843); public domain. No claim to a modern recording or arrangement.

Source & text edition

The Book of Scottish Song (1843), edited by Alexander Whitelaw, “Indian Death Song”

Every contribution in this 1843 anthology predates modern copyright terms by more than a century; any contributor died at least 130 years ago, so the text is in the public domain worldwide (life+70 terms expired no later than 2020).

How to read this historical text and its source

Read the source on Wikisource

View copyright evidence · Transcription terms (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Retrieved 2026-10-12. Line spacing and section labels are adapted for reading. The displayed text follows the linked edition. Editorial notes and abstract artwork are by 52lyrics.
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