Like daughter, which in Hebrew’s rendered bat,
The word for jackal’s tender: namely tan;
And nascent night’s the time most often that
I meet these creatures in the Garden (gan).
As to their nature, ancients got it wrong:
They’re blessèd, gentle, beautiful and shy;
I’d wager Eve and Adam loved their song
No less than do my own dear wife and I.
Not timid, though, if sense they you’re their friend:
Like sprites or quarks they’ll suddenly appear,
Then flit about your quietly ere they blend
Again with holy moonlight soft and clear.
Jerusalem
20 November 2010