Love like a Hare
This is the subject of the rule book
of the work of a master of hounds, where it is he will be:
the pursuit of a leveret which he would chase out
4 from the bush where it would be, great trouble,
grey one with long ears, by a copse of green oaks,
speckled-cheeked, swift course leaping mounds.
She is what hunting dogs long for,
8 song in unison, wolf's leap,
hermaphrodite who would give a slow weak dog
aching muscles on a clay bank,
stubby-tailed one with short chin who feeds on shoots,
12 I know the fate of the grey one with white breeches.
Dregs of new stalks above a stream,
... socks, with a house of straw and wild offspring,
a trouserful of dung in frost,
16 semi-tame creature of the thick gorse clump,
wanderer on the edge of a strip of corn,
shoo, you short speckled mad cat!
Mountainous lair, head-dress of arrows,
20 wild grey white-limbed young goat,
speedy from its house over hoar-frost,
a thrust from the tip of a boot of hair.
Let her be pursued, a course of pursuit,
24 in front of men, roller of the wind,
to stray one way and another,
from wood to fair bright sloping field,
from one cunning place to another,
28 from amongst the dew to tangled undergrowth,
unstable mind, and she loves corn,
if God allows, sprinter of the earth,
her intentions are ever-changing,
32 wild thrust, speedy from her lair,
cat's leg, heading for the shelter of a hillock,
deep stronghold, she is able to return
to the house from whence she arose,
36 where the sun shines, if she has had food.
Sleepless for the sake of a passionate girl,
feeble ability, I am just the same:
my predicament on account of my darling,
40 my learning was to woo my sweetheart,
my obsession when I was jealous,
my painful intent, my grievous mind,
it arose from remembrance of an ode,
44 from the grove where it had been well off,
from the bed of love, fine bright girl,
from the wine-hall of a gay southern lord.
I hunted it, fruitless huntsman,
48 to chase out love, lovely colour of stars,
from she of the fair forehead
from the square court yonder, embittered speech.
What good to me (it never relented)
52 was constant pain without a single hour's relief?
Her love ran, clever girl who causes grief,
God's blessings, the run of a doe,
the breadth of two feet (limbs which cause lust),
56 thief, from her mind back to its place.
It will not willingly stay, wherever I put it,
except where it was binding a wound,
it will not lurk in a secluded spot,
60 it will not get caught in the mouth of a net.
She the colour of snow in a glade
cannot move love, the intrepid mind;
this conflict [is] a crop of fear,
64 this love will not go, by whatever name it is known,
from its habitat, its purpose is a mad course,
the girl's claim, it is fixed there.
The land of Gwgon of the Red Sword,
68 great straight burden, he of shining arms,
tonight I cannot sleep a wink,
sick pining, unless I go there.
She of the lovely hue has caused long grief,
72 old thief just like a nightmare.