| J. C. Squire, ed. A Book of Women’s Verse. 1921. | | | | A Birthday | | By Christina Rossetti (1830–1894) |
| | | MY heart is like a singing bird | |
| Whose nest is in a watered shoot; | |
| My heart is like an appletree | |
| Whose boughs are bent with thickset fruit; | |
| My heart is like a rainbow shell | 5 |
| That paddles in a halcyon sea; | |
| My heart is gladder than all these | |
| Because my love is come to me. | |
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| Raise me a dais of silk and down; | |
| Hang it with vair and purple dyes; | 10 |
| Carve it in doves, and pomegranates, | |
| And peacocks with a hundred eyes; | |
| Work it in gold and silver grapes, | |
| In leaves, and silver fleurs-de-lys; | |
| Because the birthday of my life | 15 |
| Is come, my love is come to me. | | | | |
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