Stars mirrored in water, the speaker says, would be jewels enough for Pharaoh’s daughter. Then he shrugs: Pharaoh’s daughter is dead and gone, while living girls are getting on. The first two lines sound dreamy, even flattering—nature itself could decorate a princess. But the second two lines undercut that mood with a wry, practical turn. The glamorous figure belongs to the past; real young women are alive right now and moving ahead. The speaker’s tone is light and a little teasing, maybe with a touch of melancholy beneath the wit. He seems to be saying that no amount of romanticized history or ancient beauty should distract us from the life actually happening in front of us. It closes like an old storybook being shut with a smile, pointing back to the present.
Songs About Life and Brighter Things Yet XII — Summary
Stars reflected in the water Are jewels enough for Pharaoh's daughter; But Pharaoh's daughter's dead and gone While living girls are getting on.