While they are still beginning to flower ¹  and not ripe for cutting, ²  they can wither away ³  faster ⁴  than any grass! ⁵ 

The Lover to His Beloved: ¹  I went down to the orchard of walnut trees, ²  to look for the blossoms of the valley, ³  to see if the vines had budded or if the pomegranates were in bloom.