The Last Rose Of Summer
To my mind nothing describes more eloquently the energies of the autumn signs Libra and Scorpio than music. Libra is the sign of love and relationships ruled by Venus, and Scorpio, the sign of death and birth, rebirth and regeneration. Each one of the songs in this section is filled with the melancholy that is an inevitable part of the happiness loving relationships bring into our lives, because in our heart of hearts we know that sooner of later they must end. The songs convey the mood of a departure that is inevitably approaching, whenever and however it may come about. The sadness this creates in human hearts has its origin in not knowing that in truth there is no death and that such partings are only ever for a while.
‘Tis 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’ll not leave thee, thou lone one,
To pine on the stem.
Since the lovely are sleeping,
Go, sleep thou with them.
Thus kindly I’ll scatter
Thy leaves o’er the bed,
Where thy mates of the garden
Lie scentless and dead.
So soon may I follow,
When friendships decay
And from love’s shining circle
The gems drop away.
When true hearts lie withered
And fond ones are flown,
Oh! Who would inhabit
This bleak world alone?
Written by the Irish poet Thomas Moore, a contemporary and friend of Byron and Shelley. Moore wrote this poem in 1805 while at Jenkinstown Park in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It was set to a traditional tune called ‘Aislean an Oigfear’ or ‘The Young Man’s Dream’, which had been transcribed by Edward Bunting in 1792 based on a performance by harper Donnchadh Ó hÁmsaigh or Denis Hempson at the Belfast Harp Festival. The Poem and tune together were published in December 1813 in a collection of Moore’s work under the heading ‘A Selection of Irish Melodies’.
Recommended Listening:
• ‘The Last Rose Of Summer’
The above is part of ‘Words of Wisdom For The Seasons Of The Year’
If you would like some more of it, please follow the link below:
‘Words of Comfort And Healing For The Seasons Of The Year’