Classic and Contemporary Poetry
A BESTIARY: THE HART, by ANONYMOUS First Line: "the hart, it hath customs twain" Last Line: "mickle need, I trow, have we / to obey his will" Subject(s): Deer | ||||||||
THE Hart, it hath customs twain From which we ensamples gain; Thus we read in the book withal That men Physiology call. He doth drag the Adder from stone, With his nose pulls it up anon, From stone, or from stock also When thereunder it fain would go. Swift doth he swallow the Worm, Thereafter he sore doth burn, For the poisonous thing that tide To heat doth it turn inside. Then with cunning, he fareth fleet Where floweth the water sweet, And he drinketh it at his will Till thereof he hath ta'en his fill, And the venom hath no more power To harm him, from that same hour. But then doth he cast his horn, Either in thicket or thorn, Thus the wild Deer renews his youth So have I learned for truth. Significatio Thus men, they the poison draw From our elders, who brake the Law, Thro' the Serpent, thereby Mankind Have envy and strife in mind, Be lustful, and covetous, Lascivious and gluttonous, And haughty, and proud in mien -- This is the poison I mean. Full oft do we burn in mood, And fare as if we were wood, And whenever we thus do burn It behoveth us swift to turn And haste to Christ's living well, That we may not go to Hell. If His Teaching, we drink it in, It will quench in our heart each sin. Let us cast away pride that stead, As the Hart his horns doth shed, And to God-ward renew us thus That Salvation be sure for us. A practice have hart and hind, That we all ought to bear in mind; They be all of the self-same mood, -- If they go forth in search of food And over the water fare None leaveth his comrade there, But one, he in front doth swim, And the others, they all follow him, Whether he swim or wade -- At need each the other doth aid, The one doth his shinbone lay On the other's loin alway; If he who the train doth lead For weariness slacks his speed, The others, they come anear, And help him to take good cheer, Bear him, from watery ground, To the shore, all hale and sound, Thus aid in his need he found. This custom is mid'st them seen Tho' a hundred in herd they've been. Significatio From the Hart this lesson we win Ne'er to help another to sin, But each one to love the other E'en as he were his brother; With his friend to steadfast fare And his burthen with him to share, And help him, in case of need, For this, God, He giveth meed. Heaven's Kingdom we sure shall see If to others we helpful be. Thus Our Dear Lord's law should we Lovingly fulfil, Mickle need, I trow, have we To obey His Will. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE DEER LAY DOWN THEIR BONES by ROBINSON JEFFERS THE PLACE I WANT TO GET BACK TO by MARY OLIVER HOW TO SEE DEER by PHILIP BOOTH A SUNDAY DRIVE THROUGH EAGLE COUNTRY by LAURE-ANNE BOSSELAAR SECOND BOOK OF ODES: 4 by BASIL BUNTING DEER AMONG CATTLE by JAMES DICKEY TIS A LITTLE JOURNEY by ANONYMOUS |
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