John Pinkerton: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

Bothwell Bank

John Pinkerton

“Bothwell Bank” as printed in The Book of Scottish Song (1843).

John Pinkerton: Collected Lyrics Text 1 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

On the blythe Beltane, as I went

By mysel' attour the green bent,

Whereby the glancin' waves of Clyde,

Throch sauchs and hangin' hazels glide:

There, sadly sittin' on a brae,

I heard a damsel speak her wae.

"Oh, Bothwell Bank, thou blumest fair,

But, oh, thou mak's my heart fu' sair!

For a' beneth thy holts sae green

My luve and I wad sit at e'en;

While primroses and daisies, mixt

Wi' blue bells, in my locks he fixt.

"But he left me ae dreary day,

And haply now lies in the clay,

Without ae sich his death to roun',

Without ae flowir his grave to croun!

Oh, Bothwell Bank, thou blumest fair,

But, oh, thou mak's my heart fu' sair."

Credits

Written by John Pinkerton

Words by John Pinkerton. 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, “Bothwell Bank”

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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