Have I forgotten, or will I forget
How to love you;
There, where the flowers kiss the earth,
Where the shade holds the trees rooted,
Where a single bird call can enclose the yearning
Of all creation.


The tranquil petal-faces bent, in the early evening gloom,
Stirring themselves to an effervescent breeze;
Ancient as dew fall on catacombs,
Where ancient Romans loved and lost,
Their earthly joys too soon flown.


Our fleeting reflections fall
Like evening mist over the lake,
And evaporate like a dream at morning.


And how insubstantial a dream seems
Once we've awakened;
Where flowers kiss and trees take root,
In their uneasy compromise.