Traditional: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

Blue-e'ed Mary

Traditional

“Blue-e'ed Mary” as printed in The Book of Scottish Song (1843).

Traditional: Collected Lyrics Text 49 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 only love I canna rue,

My bonnie blue-e'ed Mary, O,

I ne'er will break the bosom vow

I've plighted to my dearie, O.

A fairer form I canna see,

A fairer face there canna be,

Nane bears a love sae leal as thee,

My bonnie blue-e'ed Mary, O.

I'll wait thee in the greenwood glen,

Amang the braes sae briery, O,

For there the Noran leaps the linn,

An' tells me of my dearie, O.

Thy hair's, the glossy falling stream,

Thy brow, the pure, the milky feam,

Thy cheeks, the dimpling eddies seem—

My bonnie blue-e'ed Mary, O.

I ne'er had love for ane but thee

Amang the maids sae cheery, O;

You ne'er lov'd ane but only me,

My ain, my dearest dearie, O.

My morn o' love—the morn o' thine,

An' a' our happy days sinsyne,

The chords o' mem'ry canna tyne,

My bonnie blue-e'ed Mary, O.

While morning lifts his gowden eye,

An' glints o'er a' sae cheerie, O;

While e'ening veils the face o' day,

An' starnies gild the cary, O;

My only love—my bosom vow—

My plighted faith I'll never rue,

But live in love an' bliss wi' you,

My bonnie blue-e'ed Mary, O.

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, “Blue-e'ed Mary”

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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