To love with a soul was easy to learn
And he sailed away with a promise to return
The moments pass into hours, the hours pass into years
They met 'neath the cherry blossoms every day
She knew he'd come to a by and by
The moon and I knew that he'd be faithful
But if he n'er came back, she'd never sigh or cry
Poor Butterfly, 'neath the blossoms waiting
Poor Butterfly, for she loved him so
She just would die, poor Butterfly
But if he n'er came back, she'd never sigh or cry
And there she smiled through her tears, she murmured low
Miss Butterfly her name, a sweet little innocent child was she
And he taught her how to love in the American way
Till a fine young American from the sea, to her garden came