The fresh spring-clouds across all earth their glistening pearls
      profuse now sow;
  The flowers, too, all appearing, forth the radiance of their beauty
      show;
  Of mirth and joy ’tis now the time, the hour, to wander to and fro;
  The palm-tree o’er the fair ones’ pic-nic gay its grateful shade
      doth throw.

  O Liege, come forth!  From end to end with verdure doth the whole
      earth glow;
  ’Tis springtide once again, once more the tulips and the roses blow!

  Behold the roses, how they shine, e’en like the cheeks of maids
      most fair;
  The fresh-sprung hyacinth shows like to beauties’ dark, sweet, musky
      hair;
  The loved one’s form behold, like cypress which the streamlet’s bank
      doth bear;
  In sooth, each side for soul and heart doth some delightful joy
      prepare.

  O Liege, come forth!  From end to end with verdure doth the whole
      earth glow;
  ’Tis springtide once again, once more the tulips and the roses blow!

  The parterre’s flowers have all bloomed forth, the roses, sweetly
      smiling, shine;
  On every side lorn nightingales, in plaintive notes discerning, pine. 
  How fair carnation and wallflower the borders of the garden line! 
  The long-haired hyacinth and jasmine both around the cypress twine.

  O Liege, come forth!  From end to end with verdure doth the whole
      earth glow;
  ’Tis springtide once again, once more the tulips and the roses blow!

I cannot resist the temptation to cite, in concluding this introductory paper, another fine eulogy of the delights of spring, by Amir Khusru, of Delhi (14th century), from his Mihra-i-Iskandar, which has been thus rendered into rhythmical prose: 

“A day in spring, when all the world a pleasing picture seemed; the sun at early dawn with happy auspices arose.  The earth was bathed in balmy dew; the beauties of the garden their charms displayed, the face of each with brilliancy adorned.  The flowers in freshness bloomed; the lamp of the rose acquired lustre from the breeze; the tulip brought a cup from paradise; the rose-bower shed the sweets of Eden; beneath its folds the musky buds remained, like a musky amulet on the neck of Beauty.  The violet bent its head; the fold of the bud was closer pressed; the opened rose in splendour glowed, and attracted every eye; the lovely flowers oppressed with dew in tremulous motion waved.  The air o’er all the garden a silvery radiance threw, and o’er the flowers the breezes played; on every branch the birds attuned their notes, and every bower with warblings sweet was filled, so sweet, they stole the senses.  The early nightingale poured forth its song, that gives a zest to those who quaff the morning goblet.  From the turtle’s soft cooings love seized each bird that skimmed the air.”

II