A Love Symphony

Along the garden ways just now 
I heard the flowers speak; 
The white rose told me of your brow, 
The red rose of your cheek; 
The lily of your bended head, 
The bindweed of your hair: 
Each looked its loveliest and said 
You were more fair.

I went into the wood anon, 
And heard the wild birds sing 
How sweet you were; they warbled on, 
Piped, trilled the self-same thing. 
Thrush, blackbird, linnet, without pause, 
The burden did repeat, 
And still began again because 
You were more sweet.

And then I went down to the sea, 
And heard it murmuring too, 
Part of an ancient mystery, 
All made of me and you.
How many a thousand years ago 
I loved, and you were sweet — 
Longer I could not stay, and so 
I fled back to your feet.