My Love’s an Arbutus

My Love’s an Arbutus

Original Text
The Irish Poems of Alfred Perceval Graves 2nd edn. (1908): 90-91. del G735 A155 1918 v. 2 Fisher Rare Book Library
1My love’s an arbutus
2By the borders of Lene,
3So slender and shapely
4In her girdle of green;
5And I measure the pleasure
6Of her eye’s sapphire sheen
7By the blue skies that sparkle
8Through that soft branching screen.
9But though ruddy the berry
10And snowy the flower
11That brighten together
12The arbutus bower,
13Perfuming and blooming
14Through sunshine and shower,
15Give me her bright lips
16And her laugh’s pearly dower.
17Alas! fruit and blossom
18Shall scatter the lea,
19And Time’s jealous fingers
20Dim your young charms, machree.
21But unranging, unchanging,
22You’ll still cling to me,
23Like an evergreen leaf
24To the arbutus tree.

Notes

1] arbutus: evergreen tree. Back to Line
2] Lene: Lough Lene, a large lake in Eire. Back to Line
4] girdle: belt. Back to Line
20] machree: my dear. Back to Line
RPO poem Editors
Ian Lancashire
RPO Edition
2004
Rhyme
abcbdefe