SAY, fair maids, maying <br />In gardens green, <br />In deep dells straying, <br />What end hath been <br />Two Mays between <br />Of the flowers that shone <br />And your own sweet queen?— <br />“They are dead and gone!” <br /> <br />Say, grave priests, praying <br />In dule and teen, <br />From cells decaying <br />What have ye seen <br />Of the proud and mean, <br />Of Judas and John, <br />Of the foul and clean?— <br />“They are dead and gone!” <br /> <br />Say, kings, arraying <br />Loud wars to win, <br />Of your manslaying <br />What gain ye glean? <br />“They are fierce and keen, <br />But they fall anon, <br />On the sword that lean,— <br />They are dead and gone!” <br /> <br />ENVOY <br /> <br />Through the mad world’s scene <br />We are drifting on, <br />To this tune, I ween, <br />“They are dead and gone!”<br /><br />Andrew Lang<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/ballades-iv-of-life/
