Hector Macneill: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

Mary of Castle-Cary

Hector Macneill

“Mary of Castle-Cary” as printed in The Book of Scottish Song (1843).

Hector Macneill: Collected Lyrics Text 3 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

O saw ye my wee thing? Saw ye my ain thing?

Saw ye my true love down on yon lea?

Cross'd she the meadow yestreen at the gloamin'?

Sought she the burnie whar flow'rs the haw tree?

Her hair it is lint-white; her skin it is milk-white;

Dark is the blue o' her saft rolling e'e;

Red, red her ripe lips, and sweeter than roses:—

Whar could my wee thing wander frae me?

I saw na your wee thing, I saw na your ain thing,

Nor saw I your true love down on yon lea;

But I met my bonnie thing late in the gloamin',

Down by the burnie whar flow'rs the haw tree.

Her hair it was lint-white; her skin it was milk-white;

Dark was the blue o' her saft rolling e'e;

Red were her ripe lips, and sweeter than roses:

Sweet were the kisses that she ga'e to me.

It was na my wee thing, it was na my ain thing,

It was na my true love ye met by the tree:

Proud is her leal heart! modest her nature!

She never lo'ed onie till ance she lo'ed me.

Her name it is Mary; she's frae Castle-Cary:

Aft has she sat, when a bairn, on my knee:—

Fair as your face is, war't fifty times fairer,

Young bragger, she ne'er would gi'e kisses to thee.

It was then your Mary; she's frae Castle-Cary;

It was then your true love I met by the tree;

Proud as her heart is, and modest her nature,

Sweet were the kisses that she ga'e to me.

Sair gloom'd his dark brow, blood-red his cheek grew,

Wild flash'd the fire frae his red rolling e'e!—

Ye's rue sair this morning your boasts and your scorning:

Defend ye, fause traitor! fu' loudly ye lie.

Awa' wi' beguiling, cried the youth, smiling:—

Aff went the bonnet; the lint-white locks flee;

The belted plaid fa'ing, her white bosom shawing,

Fair stood the lov'd maid wi' the dark rolling e'e!

Is it my wee thing! is it my ain thing!

Is it my true love here that I see!

O Jamie forgi'e me; your heart's constant to me;

I'II never mair wander, dear laddie, frae thee!

Credits

Written by Hector Macneill

Words by Hector Macneill. 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, “Mary of Castle-Cary”

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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