"The Beautiful Flowers of May" (circa 1841-1847)
A Ballad.
The Poetry by 
Miss Rosa Paine. 
The Music composed by 
Alexander Lee.

New York: Firth & Hall, No. 1 Franklin Sq.
 and Firth, Hall & Pond, No. 2, [Broadway?]
[John Firth; William  Hall (-1875); Sylvanus Pond (c1887-c1850)]
Lith. of G. & W. Endicott; 59 Beekman St. New York
Plate Number: 3966
[Source: 116/013@Levy]

1. I wander’d forth one fine May morn, 
To call awreath my brows t’adorn, 
Entwin’d with od’rous flowrets fair, 
And many a hopeful bud was there, 
With charms that promis’d to unfold, 
And I believ’d the tale they told; 
A bloom too rich to pass away, 
So beautiful those flow’rs, those flow’rs of May. 
So beautiful,  so beautiful, 
so beautiful those flow’rs of May. 

2. But when I saw with sad surprise,
The garland fade before mine eyes,
Until the blossoms once so fair,
Where scatter’d in the summer air,
And found tho’ long conceal’d from view
A thorn that might have pierc’d me through.
I then resolv’d so frail were they,
To wear no more each flowers, such flowers of May, 
Tho’ beautiful, tho’ beautiful, 
To wear no more such flow’rs of May.

3. My festal crown I will not weave,
Or hopes that flatter and deceive,
Oh let me round my temples bind,
A wreath with truth and love entwin’d,
And buds that sweet perfumes may bring
Where breathes the everlasting spring,
Then ne’er will perish or decay,
Those ever during flowers, those flowers of May, 
So beautiful, So beautiful, 
Those ever during flow’rs of May.