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The Grave and the Rose

Victor Hugo.

The Grave said to the Rose,
'What of the dews of morn,
Love's flower, what end is theirs?'
'And what of souls outworn,
Of them whereon doth close
The tomb's mouth unawares?'
The Rose said to the Grave.

The Rose said, 'In the shade
From the dawn's tears is made
A perfume faint and strange,
Amber and honey sweet.'
'And all the spirits fleet
Do suffer a sky-change,
More strangely than the dew,
To God's own angels new,'
The Grave said to the Rose.

Literature Network » Andrew Lang » Grass of Parnassus » The Grave and the Rose