Lillies of the Valley
O, pearly, waxen, lilly bells!
Glad the tale your coming tells—
Blithest time, of all the year,
Happy, blooming spring is here
With lillies-of-the-valley.
Shining like the precious gem,
Divers bring from ocean’s floor;
God in blessing scattered them
Blooming by the humblest door;
Springing in some sheltered nook,
Peeping by a mouldering wall,
Nodding by a babbling brook,
Purest, sweetest flowers of all,
Are lillies-of-the-valley.
Hidden from life’s cares and frets
Is the loved embowered spot
Sacred to our floral pets—
Lillies and forget-me-not;
Tho’ the poet’s fondest dream
Wreaths about the violet,
With the morning’s dew agleam,
Lovlier and sweeter yet
Are lillies-of-the-valley.
Roses fade and fall apart—
Lose their beauty with their bloom,
In the lillies perfect heart
Lingers long its sweet perfume;
Mem’ries dear we’ll ne’er forget,
With their tender thrills of bliss,
Hover round the mignonette,
Yet, a charm supreme to this,
Have lillies-of-the-valley.
Queens of color, tall and proud
Bloom among the asphodels,
But of all that lauded crowd
None so loved as lilly bells!
Pansy bright with dreamy eyes
Seems acquaint with mystic lore,
Whispers “hope” when sorrow sighs,
Yet, we love the lillies more,
Sweet lillies-of-the-valley.
They will breathe the tender thought
Sympathy would fain reveal,
But, with love’s fond message fraught,
Half their charm is to conceal.
Lillies of the Valley.
Rosebud boldly tells the tale
Cupid sent it to confess—
With the fragrance they exhale
Lillies whisper,—“You may guess.”