Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, SPANISH ROSES, by WILLIAM SHARP


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

SPANISH ROSES, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Roses, roses / yellow and red
Last Line: A kiss for a kiss, and a sigh for a sigh!
Alternate Author Name(s): Macleod, Fiona
Variant Title(s): Roses
Subject(s): Death; Flowers; Kisses; Love; Roses; Youth; Dead, The


Roses, roses,
Yellow and red;
A rose for the living,
A rose for the dead!
Who'll sip their dew?
There are only a few
Of the yellow and red:
Youth sells its roses
Ere youth is sped.

Roses, roses,
All for delight;
What of the night?
Hark, the tramp, tramp,
The scabbard's clamp,
The flaring lamp!
Where is the morning dew?
Ah, only a few
Drank ere the yellow and red
Lay shrivelled, shrivelled,
Over the dead.

Roses, roses,
Buy, oh buy.
The years fly,
'Tis the time of roses.
Here are posies
For one and all;
For lovers that sigh
And for lovers that die:
And for Love's pall
And burial!

Roses, roses, roses, buy, buy, oh buy!
Why delay, why delay, roses also die.
Pink and yellow, blood-red, snow-white,
Roses for dayspring, roses for night!

Buy, buy, oh my roses buy!
A kiss for a kiss, and a sigh for a sigh!





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