A Rose For Ecclesiastes by Roger Zelazny

A lyrical Earth poet-linguist travels to Mars to study a dying, ritual-bound civilization; by mastering their language and sacred rites he confronts their fatalism, uses human poetry and a literal rose to bridge cultures, wins the trust and love of a holy woman, and—through defiance of their prophecies and a daring personal act—sparks the possibility of new life and cultural renewal for a people resigned to extinction.