Last Rose of Summer

This item is part of the I. G. Greer Folksong Collection which consists of more than 300 individual song titles and their variants as collected by Isaac Garfield Greer (1881-1967) from informants, primarily in Ashe, Wilkes and Watauga counties. The collection includes manuscripts, typescript transcriptions produced by Dr. Greer’s clerical staff, and handwritten musical notations. Songs range from traditional Child Ballads, traditional English and Scottish ballads as well as their American variants, to 19th century popular music to musical compositions of local origin.

Irish poetry--19th century

Loneliness--Poetry

Roses--Poetry

Time--Poetry

'Tis the Last Rose of Summer

Moore, Thomas, 1779-1852

AC.113 Isaac Garfield (I.G.) Greer Papers and Recordings

W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Appalachian State University

Greer, I. G. (Isaac Garfield), 1881-1967

PDF

English

Text

It is the last rose of summer,
Left blooming alone.
All her lovely companions
Are faded and gone.

No flower of her kindred,
No rosebud is nigh
To reflect back her blushes,
Or give sigh for sigh.

I will not leave thee thou love one
To pine on the stem
Since the lovely are sleeping
Go sleep with them.

Thus kindly I scatter
Thy leaves over thy bed,
When thy mates of the garden,
Lie scentless and dead.

So soon may I follow,
When friendships decay,
And from loves shinning circle
The gems drop away.

When true hearts lie withered
And fond ones are flown,
Oh, who would inhabit
This bleak world alone.

It is the last rose of summer
Left blooming alone,
All her lovely companions ,
Are faded and gone.

No flower of her kindred,
No Rose bud is nigh,
To reflect back her blushes,
Or give sigh for sigh.

1805

113_LastRoseOfSummer