Le Spectre de la Rose

Do you know Theophile Gautier's poem The Ghost of the Rose?

It tells a story about a girl who comes home from her first ball 

and falls asleep on an armchair.

The ghost of the rose which she wore on the ball 

visits her in the dream, dances with her and then disappears. 

Open those eyelids now closed, 

Soft-touched by a maiden’s pure dream; 

I am the ghost of the rose 

That you wore to the ball yester-even. 

You pluckt me while yet I was pearly 

With the watering can’s silvery tears,

And about the glittering soirée

You paraded me under the stars. 

O to thou who brought about my death 

(For to chase death away you’ve no chance), 

Every night my rose-colored wraith 

Will appear at thy bedside and dance. 

But fear not, for I am now owed 

Neither Mass nor De profundis. 

This fragile perfume is my soul, 

And I’ve arrived here from paradise. 

My destiny was to be envied, 

And to suffer so lovely a fate 

More than one would gladly have died, 

For thy bosom became my grave; 

And on the alabaster where I repose 

The poet there with his soft kiss 

Has inscribed: "Here lies the rose 

Who made even emperors jealous." 

(source)

This beautiful story was made into a ballet choreographed by Fokin.

Here is a quite new version by Paris Opera Ballet.

This one is much more subtle, delicate and magic <3

First performed by Tamara Karsavina and Vaslav Nijinsky.

Nijinsky made such a beautiful rose^^

I really love this story.

I read interpretations that it shows how the girl grows up.

After waking up from her dream she has already turned into a woman.

She lacks illusions and knows that this moment is gone for all life.

I prefer to look at it differently.

She fell in love with the ghost of the rose not with someone from the ball.

(She saw the ghost in her dream not a ball itself)

She refuses to enter an adult world. 

Instead of it she chooses the world of fantasy.

The ghost reciprocates her love and he promises to appear at her bed every night.

Where is this all growing-up?

Btw this story would suit to Versailles.

Just imagine Kamijo as the ghost of the rose^^

So beautiful that he 

made even emperors jealous XD