Traditional: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

If on earth

Traditional

“If on earth” as printed in The Book of Scottish Song (1843).

Traditional: Collected Lyrics Text 188 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

If on earth there is enjoyment,

'Tis our ain fireside,

Though the mind has its employment,

At our ain fireside;

Our bairnies round us twine,

Like the ivy or the vine,

Wi' looks sae sweet and kin'

At our ain fireside.

Yet we're no without our toil,

At our ain fireside,

Care mixes wi' the smile,

At our ain fireside;

But wi' hearts sae leal an' true,

We hope to wuddle through

Life's linked and ravelled clew,

At our ain fireside.

But when our bairns are up,

At our ain fireside,

They'll be our stay and prop,

At our ain fireside;

Wi' filial love and care,

They will a' our pleasures share,

And our age they will revere,

At our ain fireside.

Though we ha'e nae muckle wealth,

At our ain fireside,

Yet wi' sweet content and health,

At our ain fireside;

We envy not a king,

For riches canna bring

The blessings we can sing,

At our ain fireside.

And when the time shall come,

At our ain fireside,

That'll lay us in the tomb,

Frae our ain fireside;

Wi' faith that canna shrink,

We'll no tremble on the brink,

When death shall loose the link,

At our ain fireside.

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, “If on earth”

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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