Robert Burns: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

Mary Morison

Robert Burns

“Mary Morison” as printed in The Book of Scottish Song (1843).

Robert Burns: Collected Lyrics Text 65 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, Mary, at thy window be;

It is the wished, the trysted hour:

Those smiles and glances let me see

That make the miser's treasure poor.

How blytheiy wad I bide the stoure,

A weary slave from sun to sun,

Could I the rich reward secure,

The lovely Mary Morison!

Yestreen, when to the stented string

The dance gaed through the lichtit ha',

To thee my fancy took its wing—

I sat, but neither heard nor saw.

Though this was fair, and that was braw,

And yon the toast o' a' the town,

I sigh'd, and said amang them a',

Ye are na Mary Morison.

O, Mary, canst thou wreck his peace,

Wha for thy sake wad gladly dee?

Or canst thou break that heart of his,

Whase only faut is loving thee?

If love for love thou wilt na gi'e,

At least be pity to me shown,

A thocht ungentle canna be

The thocht of Mary Morison.

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, “Mary Morison”

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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