THE WILD ROSE
Song by Schubert, words by Goethe, translated by E. Fiske

Once there was a wild rose gay
On the moorland growing.
But a careless boy at play
Chanced to see the tempting spray
Which the breeze was blowing.
Soft red rose, red rose of May,
On the moorland growing.

Said the boy:'I'll pick you now,
On the moorland growing.'
Said the rose: 'I'll prick you now,
That you may remember how
Sad I was at going.'
Soft red rose, red rose of May,
On the moorland growing.

Roughly then he snatched his prize,
On the moorland growing,
After this he'll be more wise;
There before his very eyes
Blood was freely flowing.
Soft red rose, red rose of May,
On the moorland growing.

From 'The Oxford School Music Books', Teacher's Manual Senior, Part I by permission of Oxford University Press

This version, the one which seems to have been partly remembered from schooldays, appears in Singing Together, Summer 1959 This would fit in with the opening post which mentions school in the 50s. The bit in italics about the source is also quoted verbatim from 'Singing Together'

NP