Classic Poem

La Bouquetiere et le Croque-Mort.

I'm a poor flower-girl, with no dust, Sir;
But your sighs are with me out of place;
Mister Blackbird, excuse me, I must, Sir,
Plainly tell you your name to your face
And what though I may be a free-thinker in mind,
No I'm not, not a bit, for a blackbird inclined:
For I'm young enough yet, and I look pretty well;
Pretty roses, and lilies, and jasmines I sell;
Nor have I the least wish in the world, I declare,
No, not I, Sir, not I, to come under your care!

Love, who plays at both better and worse, Sir,
Has been lugging you on by the ear;
Since the day when you drove your old hearse, Sir,
To my basket a little too near —
You upset my poor flowers and a mess of them made;
There's a something ill-omened to them in your trade:
For I'm young enough yet, and I look pretty well;
Pretty roses, and lilies, and jasmines I sell:
Nor have I the least wish in the world, I declare,
No, not I, Sir, not I, to come under your care!

Men of pleasure are more in my way, Sir;
Angry feelings pray let me not raise —
But my flowers I should have to display, Sir,
If with you, on your ground — Pere-la-chaise:
And the traffic that I carry on, I confess,
At the Gaiete doors has more chance of success
For I'm young enough yet, and I look pretty well;
Pretty roses, and lilies, and jasmines I sell:
Nor have I the least wish in the world, I declare,
No, not I, Sir, not I, to come under your care!

Though you turn over many a lord, Sir,
Don't for that of yourself highly think;
What if each ought to you to award, Sir,
For his funeral honors, a drink;
There are some, I can tell you, whom scarcely alive,
I myself, without boasting, have helped to revive.
For I'm young enough yet, and I look pretty well;
Pretty roses, and lilies, and jasmines I sell:
Nor have I the least wish in the world, I declare,
No, not I, Sir, not I, to come under your care!

Now, to come to the point, I consent, Sir;
Come and take me in passing this way!
Let it be when ten years I have spent, Sir;
Mister soft-hearted Blackbird, good day!
Get along! a new customer now there may be
Kept waiting for you — tarry not, Sir, with me!
For I'm young enough yet, and I look pretty well;
Pretty roses, and lilies, and jasmines I sell:
Nor have I the least wish in the world, I declare,
No, not I, Sir, not I, to come under your care!