Note 14 — Chapter II · WEST JAVA
Reading edition
The oldest, perhaps the only original form of native poetry, happily compared, by Professor R. Brandstetter, with the Italian stornelli. In contradistinction to the sha’ir, the charm of the pantoon lies, or should lie, in its being improvised. It consists of four lines, of which the third rimes with the first and the fourth with the second; the first two contain some statement generally but loosely connected with the meaning of the last couplet, except, to quote Dr. J. J. de Hollander, that they determine the correspondence of sound. Here is one in translation:
Whence come the leeches? From the watered ricefield they go straight to the river. Whence comes love? From the eyes it goes straight to the heart.