William Blake: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

Songs of Experience/My Pretty Rose Tree

William Blake

“Songs of Experience/My Pretty Rose Tree” as printed in Songs of Innocence and of Experience (1826) (1826).

William Blake: Collected Lyrics Text 4 1826 · historical text
Public domainSong lyricsRomantic
Complete public-domain lyrics

This text comes from Songs of Innocence and of Experience (1826), a historical songbook transcribed on Wikisource and reproduced from the pinned revision linked below.

Verse 1

The TygerSongs of Experienceby William BlakeMy Pretty Rose TreeAh! Sun-flower→

This poem was published in Songs of Experience in 1794.

Verse 2

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A flower was offered to me,

Such a flower as May never bore;

But I said, ‘I’ve a pretty rose tree,’

And I passed the sweet flower o’er.

Then I went to my pretty rose tree,

To tend her by day and by night;

But my rose turned away with jealousy,

And her thorns were my only delight.

Credits

Written by William Blake

Words by William Blake. Historical text published in Songs of Innocence and of Experience (1826) (1826); public domain. No claim to a modern recording or arrangement.

Source & text edition

Songs of Innocence and of Experience (1826) (1826), “Songs of Experience/My Pretty Rose Tree”

Every text in this 1826 collection is by William Blake (1757-1827), who died more than 190 years ago, so the text is in the public domain worldwide; the edition carries a Wikisource PD-old determination.

How to read this historical text and its source

Read the source on Wikisource

View copyright evidence · Transcription terms (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Retrieved 2026-10-25. Line spacing and section labels are adapted for reading. The displayed text follows the linked edition. Editorial notes and abstract artwork are by 52lyrics.
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