As you maye see upon the stem in Maye
As you maye see upon the stem in Maye
Original Text
Wilfrid Thorley, Fleurs de Lys: A Book of French Poetry Freely Translated into English Verse. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1920. 70. Internet Archive.
1As you maye see upon the stem in Maye
2 The younglynge rose's lovely bud new-burst
3 Make heaven jealous of its hue when first
4Dawn sprinkles dew upon the new-born daye:
5Grace and sweet love within its leaves alwaye
6 Make gardens redolent, till it doth thirst
7 Too ardent for the rayne, and soon immerst
8Dies, leaf by leaf, upon the witherynge spraye.
9'Twas thus that thou, in thy first youthfulnesse,
10When earth and heaven did thy beauty blesse,
11 Wast slayne by Fate and lower'd to thy tomb.
12Take thou my sighes and teares for offerynge,
13This bowle of milke, this basket full of sprynge,
14 That, live or dead, thy body rose-like bloom.
RPO poem Editors
Ian Lancashire
Data entry: Sharine Leung
RPO Edition
2012