The Jacquerie. A Fragment/Song for the Jacquerie (2 of 3)

by Sidney Lanier

Betrayal

The sun has kissed the violet sea,
      And burned the violet to a rose.
O Sea! wouldst thou not better be
      Mere violet still? Who knows? who knows?
            Well hides the violet in the wood:
            The dead leaf wrinkles her a hood,
            And winter’s ill is violet’s good;
            But the bold glory of the rose,
            It quickly comes and quickly goes—
            Red petals whirling in white snows,
                        Ah me!

The sun has burnt the rose-red sea:
      The rose is turned to ashes gray.
O Sea, O Sea, mightst thou but be
      The violet thou hast been to-day!
            The sun is brave, the sun is bright,
            The sun is lord of love and light;
            But after him it cometh night.
            Dim anguish of the lonesome dark! —
            Once a girl’s body, stiff and stark,
            Was laid in a tomb without a mark,
                        Ah me!