Robert Burns: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

Lord Gregory

Robert Burns

“Lord Gregory” as printed in The Book of Scottish Song (1843).

Robert Burns: Collected Lyrics Text 61 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

Oh, mirk, mirk is this midnight hour,

And loud the tempests roar;

A waefu' wanderer seeks thy tower,

Lord Gregory, ope thy door.

An exile frae her father's ha',

And a' for loving thee;

At least some pity on me shaw,

If love it may na be.

Lord Gregory, mind'st thou not the grove

By bonnie Irvine side,

Where first I own'd that virgin love

I lang lang had denied?

How aften didst thou pledge the vow,

Thou wad for aye be mine!

And my fond heart, itsel' sae true,

It ne'er mistrusted thine.

Hard is thy heart. Lord Gregory,

And flinty is thy breast!

Thou dart of heaven that flashes by,

Oh, wilt thou give me rest!

Ye mustering thunders from above,

Your willing victim see;

But spare and pardon my false love

His wrongs to heaven and me!

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, “Lord Gregory”

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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