Robert Burns: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

Bonnie Lesley

Robert Burns

“Bonnie Lesley” as printed in The Book of Scottish Song (1843).

Robert Burns: Collected Lyrics Text 20 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 bonnie Lesley,

As she gaed o'er the border?

She's gane, like Alexander,

To spread her conquests farther.

To see her is to love her,

And love but her for ever;

For nature made her what she is,

And never made anither!

Thou art a queen, fair Lesley,

Thy subjects we before thee:

Thou art divine, fair Lesley;

The hearts o' men adore thee.

The deil he coudna scaith thee,

Or aught that wad belang thee;

He'd look into thy bonnie face,

And say, I canna wrang thee!

The powers aboon will tent thee,

Misfortune shanna steer thee;

Thou'rt like themselves sae lovely,

That ill they'll ne'er let near thee.

Return again, fair Lesley,

Return to Caledonie!

That we may brag we ha'e a lass

There's nane again sae bonnie.

Credits

Written by Robert Burns

Words by Robert Burns. 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, “Bonnie Lesley”

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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