Traditional: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

At setting day

Traditional

“At setting day” as printed in The Book of Scottish Song (1843).

Traditional: Collected Lyrics Text 33 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

At setting day and rising morn,

With soul that still shall love thee,

I'll ask of heaven thy safe return,

With all that can improve thee.

I'll visit oft the birken bush,

Where first thou kindly told me

Sweet tales of love, and hid my blush,

Whilst round thou didst enfold me.

To all our haunts I will repair,

By greenwood, shaw, or fountain;

Or where the summer day I'd share

With thee upon yon mountain.

There will I tell the trees and flowers,

From thoughts unfeign'd and tender,

By vows you're mine, by love is yours

A heart which cannot wander.

Credits

Written by Traditional

Traditional words. 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, “At setting day”

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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