Andersen's fairy tales
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There lived once a great queen, in whose garden were found at all seasons the most splendid flowers, and from every land in the world. She specially loved roses, and therefore she possessed the most beautiful varieties of this flower, from the wild hedge-rose, with its apple-scented leaves, to the splendid Provence rose. They grew near the shelter of the walls, wound themselves round columns and window-frames, crept along passages and over the ceilings of the halls. They were of every fragrance and color.
But care and sorrow dwelt within these halls; the queen lay upon a sick bed, and the doctors declared that she must die. "There is still one thing that could save her," said one of the wisest among them. "Bring her the loveliest rose in the world; one which exhibits the purest and brightest love, and if it is brought to her before her eyes close, she will not die."
Then from all parts came those who brought roses that bloomed in every garden, but they were not the right sort. The flower must be one from the garden of love; but which of the roses there showed forth the highest and purest love? The poets sang of this rose, the loveliest in the world, and each named one which he considered worthy of that title; and intelligence of what was required was sent far and wide to every heart that beat with love; to every class, age, and condition.
"No one has yet named the flower," said the wise man. "No one has pointed out the spot where it blooms in all its splendor. It is not a rose from the coffin of Romeo and Juliet, or from the grave of Walburg, though these roses will live in everlasting song. It is not one of the roses which sprouted forth from the blood-stained fame of Winkelreid. The blood which flows from the breast of a hero who dies for his country is sacred, and his memory is sweet, and no rose can be redder than the blood which flows from his veins. Neither is it the magic flower of Science, to obtain which wondrous flower a man devotes many an hour of his fresh young life in sleepless nights, in a lonely chamber."
"I know where it blooms," said a happy mother, who came with her lovely child to the bedside of the queen. "I know where the loveliest rose in the world is. It is seen on the blooming cheeks of my sweet child, when it expresses the pure and holy love of infancy; when refreshed by sleep it opens its eyes, and smiles upon me with childlike affection."
"This is a lovely rose," said the wise man; "but there is one still more lovely."
"Yes, one far more lovely," said one of the women. "I have seen it, and a loftier and purer rose does not bloom. But it was white, like the leaves of a blush-rose. I saw it on the cheeks of the queen. She had taken off her golden crown, and through the long, dreary night, she carried her sick child in her arms. She wept over it, kissed it, and prayed for it as only a mother can pray in that hour of her anguish."
"Holy and wonderful in its might is the white rose of grief, but it is not the one we seek."
"No; the loveliest rose in the world I saw at the Lord's table," said the good old bishop. "I saw it shine as if an angel's face had appeared. A young maiden knelt at the altar, and renewed the vows made at her baptism; and there were white roses and red roses on the blushing cheeks of that young girl. She looked up to heaven with all the purity and love of her young spirit, in all the expression of the highest and purest love."
"May she be blessed!" said the wise man: "but no one has yet named the loveliest rose in the world."
Then there came into the room a child– the queen's little son. Tears stood in his eyes, and glistened on his cheeks; he carried a great book and the binding was of velvet, with silver clasps. "Mother," cried the little boy; "only hear what I have read." And the child seated himself by the bedside, and read from the book of Him who suffered death on the cross to save all men, even who are yet unborn. He read, "Greater love hath no man than this," and as he read a roseate hue spread over the cheeks of the queen, and her eyes became so enlightened and clear, that she saw from the leaves of the book a lovely rose spring forth, a type of Him who shed His blood on the cross.
"I see it," she said. "He who beholds this, the loveliest rose on earth, shall never die."
Der var en mægtig dronning, i hvis have fandtes de dejligste blomster for enhver af årets tider og fra alle verdens lande, men især var det roserne, som hun elskede, og derfor havde hun af disse de mest forskellige arter, lige fra den vilde hæk med de æbleduftende grønne blade til Provences skønneste rose, og de voksede op ad slottets mure, slyngede sig om søjlerne og vindueskarmene, ind i gangene og hen ad loftet i alle sale; og roserne vekslede i duft, form og farve.
Men sorg og bedrøvelse boede herinde; dronningen lå på sin sotteseng og lægerne forkyndte, at hun måtte dø.
"Det er dog en frelse for hende!" sagde den viseste iblandt dem. "Bring hende verdens dejligste rose, den, der er udtrykket af den højeste og reneste kærlighed; kommer den for hendes øjne, før de brister, da dør hun ikke."
Og unge og gamle kom rundt om fra med roser, de dejligste der blomstrede i hver have, men de roser var det ikke; fra kærlighedens urtegård måtte blomsten hentes; men hvilken rose dér var udtrykket af den højeste, den reneste kærlighed?
Og skjaldene sang om verdens dejligste rose, hver nævnede sin. Og der gik bud vidt om land til hvert hjerte der slog i kærlighed, der gik bud til hver stand og hver alder.
"Ingen har endnu nævnt blomsten;" sagde den vise. "Ingen har peget hen på det sted hvor den fremsprang i sin herlighed. Ikke er det roserne fra Romeo og Julies kiste eller fra Valborgs grav, skønt de roser vil altid dufte gennem sagn og sange, det er ej roserne, som skyder frem fra Winkelrieds blodige lanser, fra blodet, der helligt vælder ud fra heltens bryst i døden for fædrelandet, skønt ingen død er mere sød, ingen rose rødere end dette blod, der da flyder. Ej heller er det hin underblomst, for hvis pleje manden i år og dage, i lange søvnløse nætter, i den ensomme stue, hengiver sit friske liv, videnskabens magiske rose!"
"Jeg ved, hvor den blomstrer," sagde en lyksalig moder, der med sit spæde barn kom til dronningens leje. "Jeg ved, hvor verdens dejligste rose findes! Den rose, der er udtrykket af den højeste og reneste kærlighed. Den blomstrer på de blussende kinder af mit søde barn, når det styrket af søvnen slår øjnene op og ler imod mig med hele sin kærlighed!"
"Dejlig er den rose, men en dejligere findes der!" sagde den vise.
"Ja, langt skønnere!" sagde en af kvinderne. "Jeg har set den, en mere ophøjet hellig rose blomstrer der ikke, men den var bleg, som terosens blade; på dronningens kinder så jeg den; hun havde lagt sin kongelige krone og gik selv i den lange sorgfyldte nat med sit syge barn, græd over det, kyssede det og bad til Gud en bøn for det, som en moder beder i angstens time!"
"Hellig og vidunderlig i sin magt er sorgens hvide rose, men dog er det ikke den!"
"Nej, verdens dejligste rose så jeg foran Herrens alter," sagde den fromme gamle biskop. "Jeg så den lyse, som en engels åsyn viste sig. De unge piger gik til nadverens bord, fornyede deres dåbs pagt, og der blussede roser og der blegnede roser på de friske kinder; en ung pige stod der; hun så med hele sjælens fulde renhed og kærlighed op mod sin Gud; det var udtrykket af den reneste og den højeste kærlighed!"
"Velsignet være den!" sagde den vise, "dog ingen af Eder har endnu nævnt verdens dejligste rose."
Da trådte ind i stuen et barn, dronningens lille søn; tårerne stod i hans øjne og på hans kinder; han bar en stor opslagen bog, dens bind var af fløjl og med store sølvhægter.
"Moder!" sagde den lille, "Oh, hør dog, hvad jeg har læst!" og barnet satte sig ved sengen og læste af bogen om ham, der hengav sig selv til korsets død for at frelse menneskene, selv de ufødte slægter. "Større kærlighed gives der ikke!"
Og der gik et rosenskær over dronningens kinder, hendes øjne blev så store, så klare, thi hun så fra bogens blade løfte sig verdens dejligste rose, billedet af den, som fremsprang fra Kristi blod på korsets træ.
"Jeg ser den!" sagde hun. "Aldrig dør den, som ser den rose, den dejligste på jorden!"