Flower in the garden,
Wholly itself and free,
Yearning and joyous,
Breathing its charm
To the passer-by
On the sighing air —
Beloved flower!
Flower desired for something beyond
Itself as a flower;
Giving the promise of ecstasy
Beyond its own being,
Its place in the garden —
A shadowed flame
Of an absolute!
Flower that I have taken
From its place in the garden
To realize the ultimate Beauty;
Flower in the vase at my side,
Breathing a sweeter life
Into the air I breathe,
A spirit that makes me faint,
Sorrowful with a strange languor.
Flower no less beautiful,
But revealing an essence
That changes my flower.
O, my flower that is with me but lost,
Lost in the disclosure of other hues,
Other scents!
Flower of passion, flower of love,
Flower that I have won and lost,
Mystical flower!