John Greenleaf Whittier: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

The Well of Loch Maree

John Greenleaf Whittier

“The Well of Loch Maree” as printed in The Complete Poetical Works of John Greenleaf Whittier (1895).

John Greenleaf Whittier: Collected Lyrics Text 237 1895 · historical text
Public domainBalladAmerican song
Complete public-domain lyrics

This text comes from The Complete Poetical Works of John Greenleaf Whittier, a historical songbook transcribed on Wikisource and reproduced from the pinned revision linked below.

Verse 1

Calm on the breast of Loch Maree

A little isle reposes;

A shadow woven of the oak

And willow o’er it closes.

Within, a Druid’s mound is seen,

Set round with stony warders;

A fountain, gushing through the turf,

Flows o’er its grassy borders.

And whoso bathes therein his brow,

With care or madness burning,

Feels once again his healthful thought

And sense of peace returning.

O restless heart and fevered brain,

Unquiet and unstable,

That holy well of Loch Maree

Is more than idle fable!

Life’s changes vex, its discords stun,

Its glaring sunshine blindeth,

And blest is he who on his way

That fount of healing findeth!

The shadows of a humbled will

And contrite heart are o’er it;

Go read its legend, “Trust in God,”

On Faith’s white stones before it.

Credits

Written by John Greenleaf Whittier

Words by John Greenleaf Whittier. Historical text published in The Complete Poetical Works of John Greenleaf Whittier (1895); public domain. No claim to a modern recording or arrangement.

Source & text edition

The Complete Poetical Works of John Greenleaf Whittier (1895), “The Well of Loch Maree”

Every text in this 1895 collected edition is by John Greenleaf Whittier (1807-1892), who died more than 133 years ago, so the text is in the public domain worldwide; the edition carries a Wikisource PD-old determination.

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 2026-10-27. 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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