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I BY the Isar, in the twilight | |
| We were wandering and singing; | |
| By the Isar, in the evening | |
| We climbed the huntsman’s ladder and sat swinging | |
| In the fir-tree overlooking the marshes; | 5 |
| While river met with river, and the ringing | |
| Of their pale-green glacier-water filled the evening. | |
| By the Isar, in the twilight | |
| We found our warm wild roses | |
| Hanging red at the river; and simmering | 10 |
| Frogs were singing, and over the river closes | |
| Was scent of roses, and glimmering | |
| In the twilight, our kisses across the roses | |
| Met, and her face, and my face, were roses. | |
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II When she rises in the morning | 15 |
| I linger to watch her. | |
| She stands in silhouette against the window, | |
| And the sunbeams catch her | |
| Glistening white on the shoulders; | |
| While down her sides, the mellow | 20 |
| Golden shadow glows, and her breasts | |
| Swing like full-blown yellow | |
| Gloire de Dijon roses. | |
| |
| She drips herself with water, | |
| And her shoulders | 25 |
| Glisten as silver, they crumple up | |
| Like wet and shaken roses, and I listen | |
| For the rustling of their white, unfolding petals. | |
| In the window full of sunlight | |
| She stirs her golden shadow, | 30 |
| And flashes all herself as sun-bright | |
| As if roses fought with roses. | |
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III Just a few of the roses we gathered from the Isar | |
| Are fallen, and their mauve-red petals on the cloth | |
| Float like boats on a river, waiting | 35 |
| For a fairy-wind to wake them from their sloth. | |
| |
| She laughs at me across the table, saying | |
| She loves me; and I blow a little boat | |
| Rocking down the shoals between the tea-cups | |
| And so kiss-beladen that it scarce can float. | 40 |
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IV Now like a rose come tip-toe out of bud | |
| I see the woman’s soul steal in her eyes, | |
| And wide in ecstasy I sit and watch | |
| The unknown flower issued magic-wise. | |
| |
| And day by day out of the envious bud | 45 |
| My treasure softly slips uncurled, | |
| And day by day my happiness vibrates | |
| In wide and wider circles round the world. | |
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