Traditional: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

My Jamie

Traditional

“My Jamie” as printed in The Book of Scottish Song (1843).

Traditional: Collected Lyrics Text 271 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

Oh! sing from thy spray

Thy wild notes so gay,

Pretty warbler, oh sing from the tree;

Oft beneath thy rosy bower,

I've met at twilight hour,

My Jamie that's far o'er the sea.

Beside yon myrtle boughs,

We gave our mutual vows,

From sorrow our hearts then were free;

All pleasure now is gone,

While I murmur alone,

My Jamie is far o'er the sea.

But why should I sigh,

The summer is nigh,

And the birds sing again from the tree!

The roses shall bloom,

And the soft breezes soon

Shall waft him again from the sea.

Thou bright star of night,

Oh! guide him aright:

From dangers my Jamie keep free;

Now of wealth I've a store,

He shall wander no more,

Ne'er again shall he sail on the sea.

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 Jamie”

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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