Traditional: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

Fair modest flower

Traditional

“Fair modest flower” as printed in The Book of Scottish Song (1843).

Traditional: Collected Lyrics Text 108 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

Fair modest flower, of matchless worth!

Thou sweet, enticing, bonnie gem,

Blest is the soil that gave thee birth,

And blest thine honour'd parent stem.

But doubly blest shall be the youth,

To whom thy heaving bosom warms;

Possess'd of beauty, love, and truth,

He'll clasp an angel in his arms.

Though storms of life were blowing snell,

And on his brow sat brooding care,

Thy seraph smile would quick dispel

The darkest gloom of black despair.

Sure heaven hath granted thee to us,

And chose thee from the dwellers there,

And sent thee from celestial bliss,

To show what all the virtues are.

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, “Fair modest flower”

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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