In addition
there is fashioned there
an ancient fisherman
and a rock,
a rugged rock,
on which
with might and main
the old man poises a great net
for the cast
as one who puts his whole heart into it.
One would say
that he was fishing
with the full strength of his limbs
so big do his muscles stand out
about the neck.
Gray-haired though he be,
he has the strength
of a young man.
Now, separated
from the sea-broken old man
by a narrow interval
is a vineyard
heavy
with fire-red clusters,
and on a rude wall
sits a small boy
guarding them.
Round him
two she-foxes are skulking.
One
goes the length of the vine-rows
to eat the grapes
while the other
brings all her cunning to bear,
by what has been set down,
vowing
she will never quit the lad
until
she leaves him bare
and breakfastless.
But the boy
is plaiting a pretty
cage of locust stalks and asphodel,
fitting the reeds
and cares less for his scrip
and the vines
than he takes delight
in his plaiting.
All about the cup
is draped the mild acanthus
a miracle of varied work,
a thing for you to marvel at.
I paid
a Caledonian ferryman
a goat and a great white
cream-cheese
for the bowl.
It is still virgin to me,
its lip has never touched mine.
To gain my desire,
I would gladly
give this cup
if you, my friend,
will sing for me
that delightful song.
I hold nothing back.
Begin, my friend,
for you cannot,
you may be sure,
take your song,
which drives all things out of mind,
with you to the other world.

ENJOY MORE
The Ceylon Press publishes a range of podcasts including The History Of Sri Lanka; the off-grid Jungle Diaries podcast; Island Stories, the podcast that explores what makes Sri Lanka, Sri Lankan; the Wild Isle Podcast: Stories from Sri Lanka’s Nature; a range of complete Audio Books about Sri Lanka; as well as Poetry from The Jungle. All these, along with eBooks, dictionaries, guides and companions can be found at www.theceylonpress.com, based at The Flame Tree Estate & Hotel in the jungle northwest of Kandy: www.flametreeestate.com.

The copyright of this podcast recording is David Swarbrick @The Ceylon Press 2025.

POETRY FROM THE JUNGLE GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGES THE COPYRIGHT CREDIT:
Theocritus. Edited with a translation and commentary by A. S. F. Gow. Copyright. Copyright © The Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies 1952.