Song of Five Roses

Hearing the name "Song of Five Roses", most people would think of a bawdy tune popular in many a wayside tavern and on all sorts of occasion involving a great deal of drink and not a great deal of restraint. Its chorus gives a good impression of the song as a whole:

The songs of five roses
gave color to my nights.
The first was a noble,
the second was a scribe,
the third was peasant,
she gave me a real good ride,
the fourth one was a wandering whore
and the fifth, well the fifth,
I haven't met her yet,
I haven't met her yet.

Only those more versed in lore are aware that there is another song by the same name, a much older one, darker and more serious. It is generally assumed that the younger song gained its popularity to some extent because it could drive out the troubled mood the older one would invariably bring about and allow it to be forgotten.
Though in a manner quite unlike its lustful younger counterpart, the original "Song of Five Roses" also speaks of romance – and, in the same breath, of magic. The stanzas carry the romantic elements, equating each rose with a lady of different charm and character. The hints at magic in the stanzas are subtle, but the well-read may find the connections to an obscure tome of what at first glance appears to be romantic poetry, named The Five Voices of the Rose .
The chorus marks a strong contrast to the stanzas and may have been added later. It is far less subtle in its allusion to magic and, in turn, leaves far less room for interpreting the roses as charming lovers. The chorus changes after every stanza, and especially the notes of threat and warning that become increasingly prevalent at every turn support the idea that it might be a later addition. This, as well as its similarity to the younger song, can well be illustrated by the following examples:

The songs of five roses
gave colour to my night.
One gave me dreams of passion
and the other dreams of flight.
The third, it touched me gently,
but the fourth rang in my head,
and the fifth,
oh, but the fifth,
the fifth filled me with dread.

The songs of five roses
gave colour to my night.
One gave me dreams of harmony,
the other dreams of light.
The third made me a hero,
but the forth turned me unkind,
and the fifth,
oh, but the fifth,
the fifth, it left me blind.

The songs of five roses
gave colour to my night.
One gave me dreams of horror
and the other dreams of fright.
The third saved me from madness,
but the fourth, it pulled me back,
and the fifth,
oh, but the fifth,
it made my world turn black.