The Poetical Works of Andrew Lang Edited by Mrs. Lang |
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Ballade of Life
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 | The Poetical Works of Andrew Lang |  |
217
Ballade of Life
Say, fair maids, maying
In gardens green,
In deep dells straying,
What end hath been
Two Mays between
Of the flowers that shone
And your own sweet queen—
‘They are dead and gone!’
In gardens green,
In deep dells straying,
What end hath been
Two Mays between
Of the flowers that shone
And your own sweet queen—
‘They are dead and gone!’
Say, grave priests, praying
In dule and teen,
From cells decaying—
What have ye seen
Of the proud and mean?
Of Judas and John,
Of the foul and clean?—
‘They are dead and gone!’
In dule and teen,
From cells decaying—
What have ye seen
Of the proud and mean?
Of Judas and John,
Of the foul and clean?—
‘They are dead and gone!’
218
Say, kings, arraying
Loud wars to win—
Of your manslaying
What gain ye glean?
‘They are fierce and keen,
But they fall anon,
On the swords that lean—
They are dead and gone!’
Loud wars to win—
Of your manslaying
What gain ye glean?
‘They are fierce and keen,
But they fall anon,
On the swords that lean—
They are dead and gone!’
Envoy
Through the mad world's scene,We are drifting on,
To this tune, I ween,
‘They are dead and gone!’
| The Poetical Works of Andrew Lang | |