The Grass so little has to do－1
A Sphere of simple Green－
With only Butterflies to brood
And Bees to entertain－
And stir all day to pretty Tunes 5
The Breezes fetch along－
And hold the Sunshine in its lap
And bow to everything－
And thread the Dews, all night, like Pearls－9
And make itself so fine
A Duchess were too common
For such a noticing－
And even when it dies－to pass 13
In Odors so divine－
Like Lowly spices, lain to sleep－
Or Spikenards, perishing－
And then, in Sovereign Barns to dwell－17
And dream the Days away,
The Grass so little has to do
I wish I were a Hay－
A Sphere of simple Green－
With only Butterflies to brood
And Bees to entertain－
And stir all day to pretty Tunes 5
The Breezes fetch along－
And hold the Sunshine in its lap
And bow to everything－
And thread the Dews, all night, like Pearls－9
And make itself so fine
A Duchess were too common
For such a noticing－
And even when it dies－to pass 13
In Odors so divine－
Like Lowly spices, lain to sleep－
Or Spikenards, perishing－
And then, in Sovereign Barns to dwell－17
And dream the Days away,
The Grass so little has to do
I wish I were a Hay－
(F.379/J.333)
[1] Grass:: grass-girl, a woman of loose character (OED 1691); indicating Marguerite Gautier, a courtesan in The Lady of the Camellias (1852) by Alexandre Dumas, fils (1824–1895).
[2] Sphere:: a circle of men and their kept women in the novel. simple Green:: primitive vigour.
[3] Butterflies:: vain, gaudily attired persons (OED 2a).
[4] Bees:: busy men.
[5–12] stir, bow, noticing:: a description of her life as a courtesan.
[11] Duchess:: a hint on Marguerite's paramours, Count N. and G.
[13, 14] die, divine:: Marguerite died with the misunderstanding of Armand Duval. She wrote in her diary, "it seemed to me as if the more you persecuted me the more I should be raised in your eyes when you came to know the truth."
[16] Pine:: torment, pain. Amulets of Pine:: Armand Duval was Marguerite amulets of torment before her death.
[17] Sovreign Barns:: the Montmartre Cemetery where Marguerite was buried.
[20] I:: Armand Duval, who wanted "to change her grave simply in order to have one more look at her." a Hay:: a hedge, around her grave to protect the grass.