John Keats: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

Song

John Keats

“Song” as printed in The Poetical Works of John Keats (1884).

John Keats: Collected Lyrics Text 48 1884 · historical text
Public domainSong lyricsRomantic
Complete public-domain lyrics

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

Verse 1

Where be you going, you Devon maid?

And what have ye there in the basket?

Ye tight little fairy, just fresh from the dairy,

Will ye give me some cream if I ask it?

Verse 2

I love your hills and I love your dales,

And I love your flocks a-bleating;

But oh, on the heather to lie together,

With both our hearts a-beating!

Verse 3

I'll put your basket all safe in a nook;

Your shawl I'll hang on a willow;

And we will sigh in the daisy's eye,

And kiss on a grass-green pillow.

Credits

Written by John Keats

Words by John Keats. Historical text published in The Poetical Works of John Keats (1884); public domain. No claim to a modern recording or arrangement.

Source & text edition

The Poetical Works of John Keats (1884), “Song”

Every text in this 1884 collected edition is by John Keats (1795-1821), who died more than 200 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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