Traditional: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

Good night and joy

Traditional

“Good night and joy” as printed in The Book of Scottish Song (1843).

Traditional: Collected Lyrics Text 132 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

The year is wearin' to the wane,

An' day is fadin' west awa',

Loud raves the torrent an' the rain,

An' dark the cloud comes down the shaw

But let the tempest tout an' blaw,

Upon his loudest winter horn,

Good night an' joy be wi' you a',

We'll maybe meet again the morn.

O we ha'e wander'd far an' wide,

O'er Scotia's land of firth an' fell,

An' mony a simple flower we've cull'd,

An' twined them wi' the heather-bell:

We've ranged the dingle an' the dell,

The hamlet an' the baron's ha',

Now let us tak' a kind farewell,

Good night an' joy be wi' you a'!

Ye ha'e been kind as I was keen,

An' follow'd where I led the way,

Till ilka poet's lore we've seen

Of this an' mony a former day.

If e'er I led your steps astray,

Forgi'e your minstrel ance for a';

A tear fa's wi' his parting lay—

Good night an' joy be wi' you a'!

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, “Good night and joy”

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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