Traditional: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

It's no that thou'rt bonnie

Traditional

“It's no that thou'rt bonnie” as printed in The Book of Scottish Song (1843).

Traditional: Collected Lyrics Text 194 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

It's no that thou'rt bonnie, it's no that thou'rt braw,

It's no that thy skin has the whiteness o' snaw,

It's no that thy form is perfection itsel',

That mak's nay heart feel what my tongue canna tell;

But oh! it's the soul beaming out frae thine e'e,

That mak's thee sae dear and sae lovely to me.

It's pleasant to look on that mild blushing face,

Sae sweetly adorn'd wi' ilk feminine grace,

It's joyous to gaze on these tresses sae bright,

O'ershading a forehead sae smooth and sae white;

But to dwell on the glances that dart frae thine e'e,

O Jeanie! it's evendown rapture to me.

That form may be wasted by lingering decay,

The bloom of that cheek may be withtr'd away,

Those gay gowden ringlets that yield such delight,

By the cauld breath o' time may be changed into white;

But the soul's fervid flashes that brighten thine e'e,

Are the offspring o' heaven, and never can die.

Let me plough the rough ocean, nor e'er touch the shore,

Let me freeze on the coast of the bleak Labradore,

Let me pant 'neath the glare of a vertical sun,

Where no trees spread their branches, nor streams ever run;

Even there, my dear Jeanie, still happy I'd be,

If bless'd wi' the light o' thy heavenly e'e.

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, “It's no that thou'rt bonnie”

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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