Traditional: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

Cameron's Welcome hame

Traditional

“Cameron's Welcome hame” as printed in The Book of Scottish Song (1843).

Traditional: Collected Lyrics Text 73 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 strike your harp, my Mary,

Its loudest liveliest key,

And join the sounding Correi

In its wild melodie.

For burn, and breeze, and billow,

Their sang are a' the same,

And every waving willow

Sounds, "Cameron's welcome hame."

O list yon thrush, my Mary,

That warbles on the pine!

Its strain so light and airy,

Accords in joy with thine

The lark that soars to heaven,

The sea-bird on the faem,

Are singing from morn 'till even,

"Brave Cameron's welcome hame."

D'ye mind, my ain dear Mary,

When we hid in the tree,

And saw our Auchnacary,

All flaming fearfully?

The fire was red, red glaring,

And ruefu' was the pine,

And aye you cried despairing,

My father's ha's are gane.

I said, my ain wee Mary,

D'ye see yon cloud sae dun,

That sails aboon the cary,

And hides the weary sun?

Behind yon cloud sae dreary,

Beyond and far within,

There's ane, my dear wee Mary,

That views this deadly sin.

He sees this ruefu' reavery,

The rage of dastard knave;

He saw our deeds of bravery,

And he'll reward the brave.

Though a' we had was given

For loyalty and faith,

I still had hopes that heaven

Would right the heroes' scaith.

The day is dawned in heaven,

For which we a' thought lang;

The good, the just, is given

To right our nation's wrang,

My ain dear Auchnacary,

I ha'e thought lang for thee,

O sing to your harp, my Mary,

And sound its bonniest key.

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, “Cameron's Welcome hame”

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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