Pansies (Lawrence)/The Rose of England
THE ROSE OF ENGLAND
Oh the rose of England is a single rose
and damasked red and white!
and damasked red and white!
But roses, if they're fed too much
change from being single and become gradually
double
and that's what happened to the English rose.
change from being single and become gradually
double
and that's what happened to the English rose.
The wild rose in a sheltered garden
when it need struggle no more
softly blows out its thin little male stamens
into broad sweet petals,
and through the centuries goes on and on
puffing its little male stamens out into sterile petal flames
till at last it's a full, full rose, and has no male dust any more,
it propagates no more.
when it need struggle no more
softly blows out its thin little male stamens
into broad sweet petals,
and through the centuries goes on and on
puffing its little male stamens out into sterile petal flames
till at last it's a full, full rose, and has no male dust any more,
it propagates no more.
So it is with Englishmen.
They are all double roses
and their true maleness is gone.
They are all double roses
and their true maleness is gone.
Oh the rose of England is a single rose
and needs to be raised from seed.
and needs to be raised from seed.