Little rose, little rose

Little rose, little rose.

Must you have thorns?

I fell asleep once by a shady brooklet,

And had such a sweet dream,

I saw in the golden sunshine

A rose without thorns.

I picked it and delicately kissed it

"Thornless rose"!

I woke up and looked around,

"If it were only here. Where can it be?"

All around in the sunlight

There were only roses with thorns!

And the brooklet laughed at me;

"Leave off with your dreaming,

Mark this well, mark this well,

Roses will always have thorns."