The Collected Songs of Charles Mackay With Illustrations by John Gilbert |
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| II. |
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| IV. |
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| IX. |
| X. |
| XI. |
| XII. |
THE THREE FLOWERS. |
 | The Collected Songs of Charles Mackay |  |
THE THREE FLOWERS.
I
She wore three flowers upon her breast,The white, the red, the blue,—
The snowy whiteness for the pure,
The azure for the true;
And last the red, the rosy red,
All moist with morning dew.
II
“Oh, keep,” I cried, “the flowers you love,—“The violet shy and fair,
“And let the white camellia gleam
“Amid your flowing hair;
“But give, oh, give me back the rose,
“To cherish and to wear.
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III
“You need it not; your glowing cheeks“Its freshest bloom excel;
“And sweeter odours haunt your lips
“Than in its petals dwell;
“And there are meanings in the flower
“More deep than I can tell.”
IV
She sent it back; she knew the thoughtAmid its leaves that lay;
And thus were mutual hopes confess'd,
By symbols pure as they;
And thus I won my blushing bride,
One happy summer day.
| The Collected Songs of Charles Mackay | |