B. L. Add. MS. 45,298A, ff. 30-31

The Three Flowers

Now the crocus is beside me
       In the sweet spring-tide of year;
And the hazelboughs they hide me,
       Daffodillies grow anear.

Long ago sweet daffodillies
       With their yellow crowned my brow,
That was where the sunny hill is,
       In the sun I see them now.

We were children then together
       When we sat upon that hill,
In the sunny April weather,
       On the flower-covered hill.

There, three flowers grow for ever
       On the flower-covered hill;
But two flowers grow together[,]
       One, groweth lonely still.

[f. 30v] Tiger lilies, tall white lilies,
       In the summer grow together;
Gorgeous golden daffodillies
       In the spring grow lonely ever.

Yet the daffodils clung round me[,]
       Yet she hung them round my brow;
Yet a child she said she loved me,
       Yet I know she loves me now.

He was very noble surely
       Very much did I love him,
And they loved each other purely,
       Never will their love grow dim.

Yet, when there she had been reading,
       When with pity she looked on me,
As I stood before her pleading
       Dreary looked the flowers to me.

Then she rose up in her pity,
       While the wind about her played,
In her hand a tiger-lily,
       Very lovingly she said;                

"Sweet friend[,] do you not remember,
       In the summer long ago,
How we children played together
       On as sweet a day as now?

"How you played at swearing fealty
       To a Queen of beauty bright,
[f. 31] "Of your vows of love and lealty
       In that sunset’s golden light?

"How you crowned me with white lilies
       White as ever snow doth fall,
And three spotted tiger-lilies
       Did my royal sceptre call?

"How there were no daffodillies
       For your head to be a crown[,]
Of his crown of tiger-lilies
       Fading as the sun went down?

"Past my flowers blew the soft air[,]
       To the west your face was turned,
Tenderly wind raised your dark hair
       In your face the sunset burned.

""We three stood with love between us,
       While the swallow overhead
Flew around, as he had seen us,
       While the clouds the west wind led.

"Do you keep your child-love, brother,
       As you vowed to keep it then?
Will you love me, if another
       Be my lover among men?

"Earth will not hold us for ever
       On the earth we live not long;
When we live in heaven together
       God will make our weak love strong."

[f. 31v] O! my tears fell downward quickly,
       Fell, as drooped my head to the ground,
On the daisies there, that thickly,
       Yellow-centered stood around.

Yet the tears grew very tender;
       Through my tears I saw her stand,
Tremblingly I saw the slender
       Tiger lily in her hand.

Last year did I see her lying[,]
       Crown of lilies on her head;
Held his hand as he lay dying[,]
       Kissed him, as he lay dead:

There they lay, lay dead together
       With their hands clasped each in each,
As they sat in summer weather
       While above them was the beach.

Round her head a crown of lilies
       And a lily in her hand;
Fair white lilies; tiger lilies
       Round his head and in his hand.

Lindsay, 29-31.

Now the Crocus is beside me
In the sweet spring-tide of year;
And the hazelboughs they hide me,
Daffodillies grow anear.

Long ago sweet daffodillies
With their yellow crowned my brow,
That was where the sunny hill is,
In the sun I see them now.

We were children then together
When we sat upon that hill,
In the sunny April weather,
On the flower-covered hill.

There, here flowers grow for ever
On the flower-covered hill;
But two flowers grow together
One, groweth lovely still.

Tiger lilies, tall white lilies,
In the summer grow together;
Gorgeous golden daffodillies
In the spring grow lonely ever.

Yet the daffodils clung round me
Yet she hung them round my brow;
Yet a child she said she love me,
Yet I know she loves me now.

He was very noble surely
Very much did I love him,
And they loved each other purely,
Never will their love grow dim.

Yet, when there she had been reading,
When with pity she looked on me,
As I stood before her pleading
Dreary looked the flowers to me.

Then she rose up in her pity,
While the wind about her played,
In her hand a tiger-lily,
Very lovingly she said;                

"Sweet friend do you not remember,
In the summer long ago,
How we children played together
On as sweet a day as now?

"How you played at swearing fealty
To a Queen of beauty bright,
Of your vows of love and lealty
In that sunset’s golden light?

"How you crowned me with white lilies
White as ever snow doth fall,
And three spotted tiger-lilies
Did my royal sceptre call?

"How there were no daffodillies
For your head to be a crown
Of his crown of tiger-lilies
Fading as the sun went down?

"Past my flowers blew the soft air
To the west your face was turned,
Tenderly wind raised your dark hair
In your face the sunset burned.

""We three stood with love between us,
While the swallow overhead
Flew around as he had seen us,
While the clouds the west wind led.

"Do you keep your child-love, brother,
As you vowed to keep it then?
Will you love me, if another
Be my lover among men?

"Earth will not hold us for ever
On the earth we live not long;
When we live in heaven together
God will make our weak love strong."

O! my tears fell downward quickly,
Fell, as dropped my head to the ground,
On the daisies there, that thickly,
Yellow-centered stood around.

Yet the tears grew very tender;
Through my tears I saw her stand,
Tremblingly I saw the slender
Tiger lily in her hand.

Last year did I see her lying
Crown of lilies on her head;
Held his hand as he lay dying
Kissed him, as he lay dead:

There they lay, lay dead together
With their hands clasped each in each,
As they sat in summer weather
While above them was the beach.

Round her head a crown of lilies
And a lily in her hand;
Fair white lilies; tiger lilies
Round his head and in his hand.