by Alfred Austin (1835 - 1913)
A wild rose
Language: English
The first wild rose in wayside hedge, This year I wandering see, I pluck, and send it as a pledge, My own Wild Rose, to Thee. For when my gaze first met thy gaze, We were knee-deep in June: The nights were only dreamier days, And all the hours in tune. I found thee, like the eglantine, Sweet, simple, and apart; And, from that hour, thy smile hath been The flower that scents my heart. And, ever since, when tendrils grace Young copse or weathered bole With rosebuds, straight I see thy face, And gaze into thy soul. A natural bud of love Thou art, Where, gazing down, I view, Deep hidden in thy fragrant heart, A drop of heavenly dew. Go, wild rose, to my Wild Rose dear; Bid her come swift and soon. O would that She were always here! It then were always June.
Authorship:
- by Alfred Austin (1835 - 1913), "A wild rose", appears in Love's Widowhood and Other Poems, London & New York: MacMillan and Co., pages 140-141, first published 1889 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by (James) Albert Mallinson (1870 - 1946), "A wild rose", published 1904. [voice and piano] [text not verified]
Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2012-09-17
Line count: 24
Word count: 147