Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, A BESTIARY: THE ELEPHANT, by ANONYMOUS


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

A BESTIARY: THE ELEPHANT, by                    
First Line: In ynde ye may elephants see
Last Line: Who had fallen to hell's depths dim
Subject(s): Elephants


IN Ynde ye may Elephants see,
Big and burly in body they be,
Together they herd on the wold,
As sheep that come forth from the fold.
And of young they beget and rear
But one, tho' three hundred year
In this world to their lot were set
No more would they aye beget.
One thing have they most in thought,
That they ne'er to a fall be brought,
Since they be lacking the power
To rise again in that hour.
(How this beast his rest doth take
When he wanders wide,
Since he is of monstrous make
Hear me tell this tide.)
He doth seek to himself a tree,
That shall strong and steadfast be,
And against the trunk doth lean
When weary with walking, I ween.
When the hunter this doth know,
Who a trap will set,
Seeing where the beast doth go
This his rest to get,
Then the tree doth he saw away,
In such wise as best he may,
His work he with care doth hide
And makes him a place that tide
Wherein he may watch and see
If the beast, he deceived shall be.
Then cometh the monster, I ween,
On his side 'gainst the tree doth lean,
In the shade of the tree so tall,
Doth he sleep, and together they fall.
If none other near him be stayed
Then he crieth and calleth for aid,
And rueful, I ween his cries --
He hopeth with help to rise,
One cometh who nigh is at hand,
And hopeth to make him stand,
With all his might tho' he tries,
He stirs him no whit as he lies.
Naught can he do, nor another,
They can only cry with their brother.
Tho' they shake him, a goodly band,
Deeming to make him stand,
Yet for the help of them all
He may not arise from his fall.
Then they trumpet so loud and fast,
Like a bell, or of horns the blast,
And for this, their mickle cry,
A youngling comes hastily,
And stooping adown that tide
His trunk he puts 'neath his side,
With the help of all the band
He makes him again to stand,
Thus he 'scapeth the hunter's snare
In such wise as I now declare.

Significatio

Thus Adam, he fell thro' a tree,
Our first father, and so fell we;
Moses fain would him raise again,
But he might in no wise attain,
Nor after him prophets all
Could make him arise from his fall,
And stand once more as he stood
The heir to all Heavenly good.
With sorrow and sighing they thought
How succour might best be brought,
And with one voice they raised a cry
That pierced unto Heaven high,
And their calling and care did bring
To their aid Christ, Our Heavenly King.
Who is greatest in Heaven, withal
Became Man, and on earth was small,
His Passion He bare for us,
And going 'neath Adam thus
Raised him up, and Mankind with him,
Who had fallen to Hell's depths dim.





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