The rose is red, the violet's blue,

Pinks are pretty, and so are you."

THE rose is red, my rosy dear;

But that you as yet hardly know,

Since you have only been with us

Four of the times when roses blow.

The violet's blue, my blue-eyed love;

Yet that, perhaps, you hardly knew,

Since you have only four times passed

The violets in their hoods of blue.

The pinks are pretty, baby queen,

And so are you; but that, also,

From being here so short a time,

Perhaps you've hardly learned to know.