Like to the Damask Rose

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

”Like to the Damask Rose” is from a poem by Simon Wastell (1560-1635) called “The flesh profiteth nothing”, set to music by the English composer Edward Elgar in 1892, and published in 1900. It was republished in 1907 as one of his Seven Lieder.

[edit] Lyrics

Like to the damask rose you see,

Or like the blossom on a tree,

Or like the dainty flow’r of May,

Or like the morning of the day,

Or like the sun, or like the shade,

Or like the gourd which Jonas had,

Even such is man, whose thread is spun,

Drawn out, and cut, and so is done :

The rose withers, the blossom blasteth,

The flower fades, the morning hasteth,

The sun sets, the shadow flies,

The gourd consumes, - the man, he dies.

Like to the grass that’s newly sprung,

Or like a tale that’s new begun,

Or like a bird that’s here to-day,

Or like the pearled dew of May,

Or like an hour, or like a span,

Or like the singing of a swan,

Even such is man, who lives by breath,

Is here, now there, in life, and death :

The grass withers, the tale is ended,

The bird is flown, the dew’s ascended,

The hour is short, the span not long,

The swan’s near death, - man’s life is done.

 • Elgar has made some minor changes. The original has (verse.line):

1.1 "Like as the damask rose you see,"

1.2 "Or like the blossom on the tree,"

1.4 "Or like the morning to the day,"

1.12 "The gourd consumes, and man, he dies."

2.3 "Or like the bird that’s here to-day,"

[edit] References

• Kennedy, Michael, Portrait of Elgar (Oxford University Press, 1968) ISBN 0193154145
• Moore, Jerrold N. “Edward Elgar: a creative life” (Oxford University Press, 1984) ISBN 0193154471