Traditional: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

In yon Garden

Traditional

“In yon Garden” as printed in The Book of Scottish Song (1843).

Traditional: Collected Lyrics Text 190 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

In yon garden fine and gay,

Picking lilies a' the day,

Gathering flowers o' ilka hue,

I wistna then what love could do.

Where love is planted there it grows,

It buds and blows like any rose;

It has a sweet and pleasant smell;

No flower on earth can it excel.

I put my hand into the bush,

And thought the sweetest rose to find;

But pricked my finger to the bone,

And left the sweetest rose behind.

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, “In yon Garden”

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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