Robert Burns: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

My Peggy's Face

Robert Burns

“My Peggy's Face” as printed in The Book of Scottish Song (1843).

Robert Burns: Collected Lyrics Text 68 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

My Peggy's face, my Peggy's form,

The frost of hermit age might warm;

My Peggy's worth, my Peggy's mind,

Might charm the first of human kind.

I love my Pegery's angel air,

Her face so truly heav'nly fair,

Her native grace so void of art,

But I adore my Peggy's heart.

The lily's hue, the rose's dye,

The kindling lustre of an eye;

Who but owns their magic sway!

Who but knows they all decay!

The tender thrill, the pitying tear,

The gen'rous purpose, nobly dear,

The gentle look, that rage disarms—

These are all immortal charms.

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, “My Peggy's Face”

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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