"THE SWEET O' THE YEAR" 115 



I met a smirking bonny lass; 

 They call her Daffodil, 



Whose presence as along she went 



The pretty flowers did greet, 

 As though their heads they downward bent 



With homage to her feet, 



And all the shepherds that were nigh 



From top of every hill 

 Unto the valleys loud did cry: 



There goes sweet Daffodil! 



BATTE 

 Ay, gentle shepherd, now with joy 



Thou see my flocks doth fill ; 

 That 's she alone, kind shepherd boy, 



Let's us to Daffodil! 



The flower was also called jonquil, saffron lily, 

 Lent lily and narcissus. It was the large yellow 

 narcissus, known as the Rose of Sharon, so common 

 in Palestine, of which Mohammed said: "He that 

 hath two cakes of bread, let him sell one of them 

 for a flower of the narcissus; for bread is the food 

 of the body, but narcissus is the food of the soul." 



Narcissus, the most beautiful youth of Bceotia, 

 was told that he would live happily until he saw his 

 own face. Loved by the nymphs, and particularly 

 Echo, he rejected their advances for he was immune 

 to love and admiration. One day, however, he be- 



