Now th e Swan it floated on the English river
A h the Rose of High R omance it opened wide
A sun tanned woman ye arned me through the summer
a nd the judges watche d us from the other si de
I told my mother Mother I must leave you
p reserve my room but do not shed a tear
S hould rumour of a sh abby ending reach yo u
i t was half my fault and half the atmospher e
But th e Rose I sickened wi th a scarlet fever
a nd the Swan I tempte d with a sense of sham e
S he said at last I wa s her finest lover
a nd if she withered I would be to blame
The ju dges said you missed it by a fraction
r ise up and brace you r troops for the attac k
A h the dreamers ride against the men of a ction
O h see the men of act ion falling back
But I lingered on her thig hs a fatal moment
I kissed her lips as though I thirsted stil l
M y falsity had stung me like a hornet
T he poison sank and i t paralysed my will
I coul d not move to warn a ll the younger soldier s
t hat they had been de serted from above
S o on battlefields fr om here to Barcelona
I 'm listed with the e nemies of love
And lo ng ago she said I mu st be leaving
A h but keep my body h ere to lie upon
Y ou can move it up an d down and when I'm sleeping
R un some wire through that Rose and wind th e Swan
So dai ly I renew my idle d uty
I touch her here and there I know my place
I kiss her open mouth and I praise her be auty
a nd people call me tr aitor to my face
