Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Who was the chap who was always beefing about losing gazelles?

From Jeeves in the Morning by P.G. Wodehouse.
"Thank you, sir."

"Who was the chap who was always beefing about losing gazelles?"

"The poet Moore, sir. He complained that he had never nursed a dear gazelle, to glad him with its soft black eye, but when it came to know him well and love him, it was sure to die."

"It's the same with me. I am a gazelle short. You don't mind me alluding to you as a gazelle, Jeeves?"

"Not at all, sir."

The poem by Thomas Moore is The Fire-Worshippers (in The Complete Poems of Sir Thomas Moore) and the relevant passage is:
Oh! Ever thus, from childhood's hour,
I've seen my fondest hopes decay;
I never loved a tree or flower,
But 'twas the first to fade away.
I never nurs'd a dear gazelle,
To glad me with its soft black eye,
But when it came to know me well,
And love me, it was sure to die!

No comments:

Post a Comment