The verb “to grave” is a synonym for “to engrave,” which means to mark inscriptions or symbols upon a surface. The hind’s collar is engraved with diamonds that spell words indicating that she is the property of another man. The word “graven” also evokes the adjective “grave,” suggesting the great significance of the diamantine message conveyed in the penultimate line.
The archaic word “sithens” is a contraction of the word “sithence,” which means “therefore,” “since,” or “subsequently.” The narrator suggests that he is wise to give up his hunt, since—or “sithens”—pursuing the hind is as futile as trying to capture the wind in a net.
The noun “travail” refers to painful or exceptionally difficult work. For the narrator, hunting the hind—or courting his love interest—has been exhausting, unfulfilling, and unsuccessful. Wyatt’s word choice also reveals the complicated, stressful nature of courtly love, which runs counter to the idealized vision of love that Petrarch conveys in his sonnets.
In the original text this interjection is inscribed as “hélas,” an archaic form of the word “alas.” This is an expression of regret, dissatisfaction, or grief. The narrator sorrowfully declares that he has failed in his pursuit of the elusive hind, who is the property of a more powerful man.
The noun “hind” is an archaic word for female deer, typically a red deer. In this context, the hind is a metaphor symbolizing the woman that the narrator pursues with frustration. It is generally accepted by historians that in the context of Wyatt’s life the hind represents Anne Boleyn, who was married to King Henry VIII. Wyatt’s use of extended metaphor allows him to discuss a potentially scandalous affair through implicit means.
