“You choose the rose, love, and I’ll make the vow
And I’ll be your true love forever …”

“Red Is The Rose”, a traditional Irish ballad:

“The Briar and the Rose” only sounds like an old Irish ballad.
In fact, it was written by American songwriter Tom Waits
and was featured on his album, “The Black Rider” (1993).
Irish singer Niamh Parsons‘ beautiful performance resonates its
distinctive Irish character: 

We can almost smell the delicate fragrance in the sensual song,
“Les Roses d’Ispahan” by French composer
Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924), to words by French poet
Leconte de Lisle (1818-1894): 

You can find the poem and its English translation at www.oxfordlieder.co.uk

 

We have more Irish music for you!
Reel into our posts:
The Willow Tree and All the Way to Dublin