The poetical works of Leigh Hunt Now finally collected, revised by himself, and edited by his son, Thornton Hunt. With illustrations by Corbould |
 |
|
| I. |
| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
|
| I. |
| II. |
THE PANTHER. |
|
| I. |
| II. |
|
| 1. |
| 2. |
| 3. |
| 4. |
| 5. |
|
| I. |
| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
| V. |
| VI. |
|
| 1. |
| 2. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| I. |
| II. |
| III. |
|
|
| I. |
| II. |
| III. |
|
|
|
|
 | The poetical works of Leigh Hunt |  |
THE PANTHER.
1818.
The panther leap'd to the front of his lair,
And stood with a foot up, and snuff'd the air;
He quiver'd his tongue from his panting mouth,
And look'd with a yearning towards the south;
For he scented afar in the coming breeze
News of the gums and their blossoming trees;
And out of Armenia that same day
He and his race came bounding away.
Over the mountains and down to the plains
Like Bacchus's panthers with wine in their veins,
They came where the woods wept odorous rains;
And there, with a quivering, every beast
Fell to his old Pamphylian feast.
And stood with a foot up, and snuff'd the air;
He quiver'd his tongue from his panting mouth,
And look'd with a yearning towards the south;
For he scented afar in the coming breeze
News of the gums and their blossoming trees;
And out of Armenia that same day
He and his race came bounding away.
51
Like Bacchus's panthers with wine in their veins,
They came where the woods wept odorous rains;
And there, with a quivering, every beast
Fell to his old Pamphylian feast.
The people who liv'd not far away,
Heard the roaring on that same day;
And they said, as they lay in their carpeted rooms,
“The panthers are come, and are drinking the gums;”
And some of them going with swords and spears
To gather their share of the rich round tears,
The panther I spoke of follow'd them back;
And dumbly they let him tread close in the track,
And lured him after them into the town;
And then they let the portcullis down,
And took the panther, which happened to be
The largest was seen in all Pamphily.
Heard the roaring on that same day;
And they said, as they lay in their carpeted rooms,
“The panthers are come, and are drinking the gums;”
And some of them going with swords and spears
To gather their share of the rich round tears,
The panther I spoke of follow'd them back;
And dumbly they let him tread close in the track,
And lured him after them into the town;
And then they let the portcullis down,
And took the panther, which happened to be
The largest was seen in all Pamphily.
By every one there was the panther admir'd,
So fine was his shape and so sleekly attir'd,
And such an air, both princely and swift,
He had, when giving a sudden lift
To his mighty paw, he'd turn at a sound,
And so stand panting and looking around,
As if he attended a monarch crown'd.
And truly, they wonder'd the more to behold
About his neck a collar of gold,
On which was written, in characters broad,
“Arsaces the king to the Nysian God.”
So they tied to the collar a golden chain,
Which made the panther a captive again,
And by degrees he grew fearful and still,
As though he had lost his lordly will.
So fine was his shape and so sleekly attir'd,
And such an air, both princely and swift,
He had, when giving a sudden lift
To his mighty paw, he'd turn at a sound,
And so stand panting and looking around,
As if he attended a monarch crown'd.
And truly, they wonder'd the more to behold
About his neck a collar of gold,
On which was written, in characters broad,
“Arsaces the king to the Nysian God.”
So they tied to the collar a golden chain,
Which made the panther a captive again,
And by degrees he grew fearful and still,
As though he had lost his lordly will.
But now came the spring, when free-born love
Calls up nature in forest and grove,
And makes each thing leap forth, and be
Loving, and lovely, and blithe as he.
The panther he felt the thrill of the air,
And he gave a leap up, like that at his lair;
He felt the sharp sweetness more strengthen his veins
Ten times than ever the spicy rains,
And ere they're aware, he has burst his chains:
He has burst his chains, and ah, ha! he's gone,
And the links and the gazers are left alone,
And off to the mountains the panther's flown.
Calls up nature in forest and grove,
And makes each thing leap forth, and be
Loving, and lovely, and blithe as he.
The panther he felt the thrill of the air,
And he gave a leap up, like that at his lair;
52
Ten times than ever the spicy rains,
And ere they're aware, he has burst his chains:
He has burst his chains, and ah, ha! he's gone,
And the links and the gazers are left alone,
And off to the mountains the panther's flown.
Now what made the panther a prisoner be?
Lo! 'twas the spices and luxury.
And what set that lordly panther free?
'Twas Love!—'twas Love!—'twas no one but he.
Lo! 'twas the spices and luxury.
And what set that lordly panther free?
'Twas Love!—'twas Love!—'twas no one but he.
| The poetical works of Leigh Hunt | |