The Nightingale and the Rose by Oscar Wilde

“What I sing of, he suffers-what is joy to me, to him is pain. “Here indeed is the true lover,” said the Nightingale. She will have no heed of me, and my heart will break.” But there is no red rose in my garden, so I shall sit lonely, and she will pass me by. If I bring her a red rose, I shall hold her in my arms, and she will lean her head upon my shoulder, and her hand will be clasped in mine. If I bring her a red rose she will dance with me till dawn. “The Prince gives a ball to-morrow night,” murmured the young Student, “and my love will be of the company. His hair is dark as the hyacinth-blossom, and his lips are red as the rose of his desire but passion has made his face like pale ivory, and sorrow has set her seal upon his brow.” “Night after night have I sung of him, though I knew him not: night after night have I told his story to the stars, and now I see him. “Here at last is a true lover,” said the Nightingale.

“Ah, on what little things does happiness depend! I have read all that the wise men have written, and all the secrets of philosophy are mine, yet for want of a red rose is my life made wretched.” “No red rose in all my garden!” he cried, and his beautiful eyes filled with tears.

She said that she would dance with me if I brought her red roses,” cried the young Student “but in all my garden there is no red rose.”įrom her nest in the holm-oak tree the Nightingale heard him, and she looked out through the leaves, and wondered.

The Nightingale and the Rose by Oscar Wilde