Traditional: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

My Goddess, Woman

Traditional

“My Goddess, Woman” as printed in The Book of Scottish Song (1843).

Traditional: Collected Lyrics Text 268 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

Of mighty nature's handy-works,

The common or uncommon,

There's nought through a' her limits wide

Can be compared to woman.

The farmer toils, the merchant trokes,

From dawing to the gloamin';

The farmer's pains, the merchant's cares,

Are a' to please thee, woman.

The sailor spreads the daring sail

Through billows chafed and foaming,

For gems, and gold, and jewels rare,

To please thee, lovely woman.

The soldier fights o'er crimson'd fields,

In distant climates roaming;

But lays, wi' pride, his laurels down,

Before thee, conquering woman.

The monarch leaves his golden throne,

With other men in common,

And lays aside his crown', and kneels

A subject to thee, woman.

Though all were mine, e'er man possess'd

Barbarian, Greek, or Roman,

What would earth be, frae east to west,

Without my goddess, woman!

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, “My Goddess, Woman”

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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