English poem
The Call of the Green
by Laurence Alma-Tadema (1865–1940)
O who would dwell in the dingy town When June is fair and green? O who would stay in the chimneyed town Where brooks are never seen? Come! roses blow: sweet flower Will snow the virgin's-bower: The shaded lane, the woodland wild, Are better both for man and child.
O who would live in the narrow street When skies are broad and free? O who would bide in the stony street When the sun is on the sea? Come! leave the dust and hasten To the breath of winds that chasten: The surging waves, the starry span, Are better both for child and man.