| COME into the garden, Maud, | |
| For the black bat, Night, has flown, | |
| Come into the garden, Maud, | |
| I am here at the gate alone; | |
| And the woodbine spices are wafted abroad, | 5 |
| And the musk of the roses blown. | |
| |
| For a breeze of morning moves, | |
| And the planet of Love is on high, | |
| Beginning to faint in the light that she loves | |
| On a bed of daffodil sky, | 10 |
| To faint in the light of the sun she loves, | |
| To faint in his light, and to die. | |
| |
| All night have the roses heard | |
| The flute, violin, bassoon; | |
| All night has the casement jessamine stirr'd | 15 |
| To the dancers dancing in tune; | |
| Till a silence fell with the waking bird, | |
| And a hush with the setting moon. | |
| |
| I said to the lily, 'There is but one | |
| With whom she has heart to be gay. | 20 |
| When will the dancers leave her alone? | |
| She is weary of dance and play.' | |
| Now half to the setting moon are gone, | |
| And half to the rising day; | |
| Low on the sand and loud on the stone | 25 |
| The last wheel echoes away. | |
| |
| I said to the rose, 'The brief night goes | |
| In babble and revel and wine. | |
| O young lord-lover, what sighs are those | |
| For one that will never be thine? | 30 |
| But mine, but mine,' so I sware to the rose, | |
| 'For ever and ever, mine.' | |
| |
| And the soul of the rose went into my blood, | |
| As the music clash'd in the hall; | |
| And long by the garden lake I stood, | 35 |
| For I heard your rivulet fall | |
| From the lake to the meadow and on to the wood, | |
| Our wood, that is dearer than all; | |
| |
| From the meadow your walks have left so sweet | |
| That whenever a March-wind sighs | 40 |
| He sets the jewel-print of your feet | |
| In violets blue as your eyes, | |
| To the woody hollows in which we meet | |
| And the valleys of Paradise. | |
| |
| The slender acacia would not shake | 45 |
| One long milk-bloom on the tree; | |
| The white lake-blossom fell into the lake, | |
| As the pimpernel dozed on the lea; | |
| But the rose was awake all night for your sake, | |
| Knowing your promise to me; | 50 |
| The lilies and roses were all awake, | |
| They sigh'd for the dawn and thee. | |
| |
| Queen rose of the rosebud garden of girls, | |
| Come hither, the dances are done, | |
| In gloss of satin and glimmer of pearls, | 55 |
| Queen lily and rose in one; | |
| Shine out, little head, sunning over with curls. | |
| To the flowers, and be their sun. | |
| |
| There has fallen a splendid tear | |
| From the passion-flower at the gate. | 60 |
| She is coming, my dove, my dear; | |
| She is coming, my life, my fate; | |
| The red rose cries, 'She is near, she is near;' | |
| And the white rose weeps, 'She is late;' | |
| The larkspur listens, 'I hear, I hear;' | 65 |
| And the lily whispers, 'I wait.' | |
| |
| She is coming, my own, my sweet; | |
| Were it ever so airy a tread, | |
| My heart would hear her and beat, | |
| Were it earth in an earthy bed; | 70 |
| My dust would hear her and beat, | |
| Had I lain for a century dead; | |
| Would start and tremble under her feet, | |
| And blossom in purple and red. | |
