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Garlands of Strawberry Leaves
(tune by Austrechild von Mondsee)

He brought his love flowers of beauty sublime,
He sang for her songs of a delicate rhyme,
He won for her treasures of silver and gold
And when gifts he gave her, these words he was told:

Strawberry leaves, strawberry leaves,
For these alone my spirit now grieves;
Pray now do your part,
I give you my heart
For garlands of strawberry leaves.

His lady was queen of his heart and his eye;
Her name gave him strength as his broadsword did fly.
Her name was his cheer as his might won renown
And these words she sang as he gave her a crown:

Strawberry leaves, strawberry leaves...

To climes far and rare did his messengers go
In search of a place where fresh berries might grow
But seasons do change and some things then must die:
His queen never gave up her pitiful cry;

Strawberry leaves, strawberry leaves...

His lands were picked clean of the bravest and best
Who wandered the world at the lady's behest;
For fruits bright and rare did the warriors roam
And none but the king stayed to guard hearth and home.

Strawberry leaves, strawberry leaves...

A king's youth and fortune were spent in this way,
For sweetness soon past and fragrances gay.
His queen tasted fruits of his hopes and his care
And hungered for more; she cared not from where.

Strawberry leaves, strawberry leaves...

Another decided to seek the king's crown.
A king without warriors soon is brought down
And as monarch fled from this bitter defeat,
Heard his bold successor these words cold and sweet:

Strawberry leaves, strawberry leaves...

The seasons passed lonely; the queen pined away.
Like strawberries withered came her final day
And pale on her death-bed, now still and alone,
She wept icy tears and once more did she moan:

Strawberry leaves, strawberry leaves...

She died and was buried in ground hard and cold
And from then to this day the story is told
Of seeds and of shadows, of gardens in gloom
And garlands of leaves found one day on her tomb:

Strawberry leaves, strawberry leaves,
Memory fades, ambition deceives:
Now faded and dry,
Their lustre did die;
Was this worth sad strawberry leaves?
Sad garlands of strawberry leaves.