Valentine in Form of Ballade

VALENTINE IN FORM OF BALLADE

The soft wind from the south land sped,
He set his strength to blow,
From forests where Adonis bled,
And lily flowers a-row:
He crossed the straits like streams that flow,
The ocean dark as wine,
To my true love to whisper low,
To be your Valentine,

The Spring half-raised her drowsy head,
Besprent with drifted snow,
"I 'll send an April day," she said,
" To lands of wintry woe."
He came, - the winter's overthrow, 
With showers that sing and shine,
Pied daisies round your path to strow,
To be your Valentine.

Where sands of Egypt, swart and red,
'Neath suns Egyptian glow,
In places of the princely dead,
By the Nile's overflow,
The swallow preened her wings to go,
And for the North did pine,
And fain would brave the frost, her foe,
To be your Valentine. 

ENVOY
Spring, Swallow, South Wind, even so,
Their various voice combine ;
But that they crave on me bestow,
To be your Valentine.

Andrew Lang.