Classic Poem

I

Hear, O my rose!
Rose of roses,
Blossom of blossoms,
Whose heart is a jewel from the sky,
For you all the morning
I have been gathering roses!
Begging them from laughing friends in Babylon,
From smiling friends in Borsippa,
Buying them from the gardens of wondering venders,
Buying them even from the sellers in the streets
Who gaped in amazement,
Thus selling all their roses at one time,
To one man,
Divinely mad!

Full of roses are the gardens of " The Envy of Princes "

Yet not one would I gather,
For these are the gardens thrice blessed
Through which Iltani will pass
On the night of bridal.
The walls of my house shine with roses.
Not a rose would I gather
From the walls that will shelter Iltani
On the night of bridal.
Thus all the bridal morning,
I have been gathering the roses of others,
Roses brought from far cities and distant lands,
Heaping them on the shoulders of my slaves,
Roses, roses, ever more and more roses!
The way from Babylon to Borsippa
Is as a garden walking;
Is as a moving way of roses;
Roses of India,
Roses of China,
Roses of Persia,
Roses from Baalbec and Damascus,
From the banks of Pharpar and Abana,
Little dark roses of Babylon fairest of all to me,
Because of my Rose of Babylon,
That lady the rose Iltani!

Under a trellis of roses
Sheltered by secret walls
Hung with roses,

I have caused to be set the bridal couch of ivory
On a platform of precious Thyine wood,
Carved with roses.
Like the couch of a queen,
Like a queen's bridal couch.
It is adorned with purple and fine linen;
With fine linen
Edged with needlework
Of golden roses,
With purple silk embroidered cunningly
In roses of silver.

With my own hands
Of a worshipper,
As upon an altar
I have sprinkled upon it
Attar of roses.
The bridal couch of Iltani
Is like a rose!
Hear, O my rose!
Rose of roses,
Blossom of Blossoms,
You shall walk to delight
Over roses.
For I have strewn with them my garden paths
And the floors of my house,
So deep they lie about the bridal couch
That I am jealous.
For they will kiss your girdle
Before I can.
My bride is a rose,
Queen of roses,
King of Bees am I,
Belânu, her bridegroom!