William Cameron: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

Sweet Jessie o' the Dell

William Cameron

“Sweet Jessie o' the Dell” as printed in The Scottish Minstrel (First Series) (1850).

William Cameron: Collected Lyrics Text 2 1850 · historical text
Public domainScottish songFolk
Complete public-domain lyrics

This text comes from The Scottish Minstrel (First Series), a historical songbook transcribed on Wikisource and reproduced from the pinned revision linked below.

Verse 1

Oh! bright yon beaming queen of night

Shines in yon flowery vale,

And softly sheds her silver light

O'er mountain-path and dale.

Short is the way when light's the heart,

That's bound in love's soft spell;

Sae I'll awa to Armadale,

To Jessie o' the Dell.

To Jessie o' the Dell, &c.

Verse 2

We've pu'd the primrose on the braes,

Beside my Jessie's cot;

We've gather'd nuts, we've gather'd slaes,

In that sweet rural spot.

The wee short hours danc'd merrily,

Like lambkins on the fell,

As if they joined in joy wi' me,

And Jessie o' the Dell,

Sweet Jessie of the Dell, &c.

Verse 3

There's nane to me wi' her can vie,

I'll love her till I dee,

For she's sae sweet, and bonnie, aye,

And kind as kind can be.

This night, in mutual kind embrace,

Oh, wha our joys can tell?

Then I'll awa to Armadale,

To Jessie o' the Dell,

Sweet Jessie o' the Dell, &c.

Credits

Written by William Cameron

Words by William Cameron. Historical text published in The Scottish Minstrel (First Series) (1850); public domain. No claim to a modern recording or arrangement.

Source & text edition

The Scottish Minstrel (First Series) (1850), “Sweet Jessie o' the Dell”

Every contribution in this 1850 anthology predates modern copyright terms; any contributor died more than 130 years ago, so the text is in the public domain worldwide.

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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