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Poem: Chanson
A ring of gold and a milk-white dove
Are goodly gifts for thee,
And a hempen rope for your own love
To hang upon a tree.
For you a House of Ivory,
(Roses are white in the rose-bower)!
A narrow bed for me to lie,
(White, O white, is the hemlock flower)!
Myrtle and jessamine for you,
(O the red rose is fair to see)!
For me the cypress and the rue,
(Finest of all is rosemary)!
For you three lovers of your hand,
(Green grass where a man lies dead)!
For me three paces on the sand,
(Plant lilies at my head)!
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Copyright © 2003-2008 Gunnar Bengtsson, Poetry Connection. All Rights Reserved.
Because this poem is truly a "Chanson" in terms of its structure, it was only a matter of time before it was set to music. The arrangement was released in 1992 album by Morthound entitled "Spindrift". The song is called "Herb of Grace" (after 'rosemary' in the poem itself), and strangely enough, is sung by a female, but is truly breathtaking in its beauty and simplicity. The link to the album appears below:
http://www.coldmeat.se/catalogue/cmi/cmi15.html
Sardonique Schadenfreude Rictus from United States