The Tomb and the Rose

by Victor Hugo

The Tomb and the Rose (1877) was published in Littell's Living Age, Volume 133, Issue 1719.

The tomb asked of the rose:
"What dost thou with the tears, which dawn
Sheds on thee every summer morn,
Thou sweetest flower that blows?"
The rose asked of the tomb:
"What dost thou with the treasures rare,
Thou hidest deep from light and air,
Until the day of doom?"

The rose said: "Home of night,
Deep in my bosom, I distil
Those pearly tears to scents, that fill
The senses with delight."
The tomb said: "Flower of love,
I make of every treasure rare,
Hidden so deep from light and air,
A soul for heaven above!"

The Tomb and the Rose was featured as The Short Story of the Day on Tue, Feb 26, 2019

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