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alternative translation by Robert Graves and Ali-Shah:
What we shall be is written, and we are so.
Heedless of God or Evil, pen, write on!
By the first day all futures were decided
for a compelling take-down of both the Fitzgerald and Graves/Shah fabrications of Omar Khayyam's (Ghiyath al-Din Abu'l-Fath Umar ibn Ibrahim Al-Nisaburi al-Khayyami) oeuvre into stanzaic westernized form: [^]
to go (much) deeper into the Rubaiyat and its world-wide impact: [^]
«One day it will have to be officially admitted that what we have christened reality is an even greater illusion than the world of dreams.» Salvador Dali
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Just a perspective.
First - an intro - Mrs Wife will worry when watching a movie about who's playing the parts and may even watch one because of who's in it. I, on the other hand, couldn't care less. If I recognize them as they play their parts (rather than seeing the character they portray) their acting, by definition, is poor. I watch the movies as their own reality.
Going back to your post - I appreciate it - but the finesse with which you see it is peripheral to my selection. Yet, on the other hand, it has grabbed my interest. Some other Quatrains I like must now be explored for alternate translations. Thumbs up to you.
Ravings en masse^ |
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"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
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As to your Wife: well, that's between you and her
Perhaps I should have mentioned my intense respect, and admiration, for Sufi diwans/ghazals poetry/literature, and the synthesis of science and mysticism found in the lives and work of remarkable polymaths like Khayyam in high-culture medieval Islam.
As a poet (for 56+ years), I never lose the sense of paradoxical rapture I experience reading Rumi, Attar, and others, because of my limited, very imperfect, knowledge of "facts on the ground." At the same time, I am aware of the impossibility of knowing Rumi's thoughts and feeling in the context of his times.
And, the western popularity of Rumi and others is of, course, based on a re-interpretation too often with its Islamic devotional matrix stripped away: [^].
When fat-and-jolly Coleman Barks (who can't read medieval Persian, Urdu, etc.) makes videos of himself reading his "translations" of Rumi with Iranian musicians sitting at his feet, I want to puke,
The ghazal tradition and its mystical fervor, brought back by crusade-returning warriors into France and Germany, sparks the birth of western romantic poetry, and its cult-of-courtly-love pathos for the never attainable Beloved.
That tradition has never died, and modern poets like Shahid Ali (now deceased) bring it to life in English: [^].
If some Ifrit (evil spirit) possessed me, and, demanded my take on verse #51 to release me, I might try:
a feather floats down, a poet seizes it,
uses it as a quill to write a fiction
he believes is his life: then,
the feather floats away, unstained
Could my lie buy my freedom from a liar
«One day it will have to be officially admitted that what we have christened reality is an even greater illusion than the world of dreams.» Salvador Dali
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BillWoodruff wrote: As a poet (for 56+ years),
We are, all of us, poets.
Some struggle to rhyme their way with that of another.
Others are content to exclaim their verse to the sky
Or sing their songs with the sea.
Or be content - their verse is to but listen
And to see the poetry around them.
Ravings en masse^ |
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"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
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Most people like their music bass-boosted, but it just seems like too much treble.
"I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
"Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
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I'll note that this thought may strike a chord with some key people, others may waltz around believing that it falls flat, and doesn't scale new heights.
"the debugger doesn't tell me anything because this code compiles just fine" - random QA comment
"Facebook is where you tell lies to your friends. Twitter is where you tell the truth to strangers." - chriselst
"I don't drink any more... then again, I don't drink any less." - Mike Mullikins uncle
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You people are sick, sick in the head. The tenor of your alto egos is too much.
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I coda stopped, but that's not my forte.
"the debugger doesn't tell me anything because this code compiles just fine" - random QA comment
"Facebook is where you tell lies to your friends. Twitter is where you tell the truth to strangers." - chriselst
"I don't drink any more... then again, I don't drink any less." - Mike Mullikins uncle
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42
"the debugger doesn't tell me anything because this code compiles just fine" - random QA comment
"Facebook is where you tell lies to your friends. Twitter is where you tell the truth to strangers." - chriselst
"I don't drink any more... then again, I don't drink any less." - Mike Mullikins uncle
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Give it a rest!
Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows.
-- 6079 Smith W.
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Bass boosting? It’s hardly any treble at all!
If you can't laugh at yourself - ask me and I will do it for you.
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I won't polka hole in that claim as it's a reel problem. I'll Gibson thought to it - stay tuned!
Ravings en masse^ |
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"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
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Don't be coy; but if you carp on about it, we might knock you off your perch.
"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined."
- Homer
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That sounds a bit fishy...
- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.
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He’s just trawling us.
If you can't laugh at yourself - ask me and I will do it for you.
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As we flounder through this thread I need to ask you: How fishy? On a scale of 1 to 10.
Ravings en masse^ |
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"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
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W∴ Balboos, GHB wrote: On a scale of 1 to 10. Numbers? Holy mackerel! Schooling is now required in this thread?
"the debugger doesn't tell me anything because this code compiles just fine" - random QA comment
"Facebook is where you tell lies to your friends. Twitter is where you tell the truth to strangers." - chriselst
"I don't drink any more... then again, I don't drink any less." - Mike Mullikins uncle
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No, it's just a Red Herring!
- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.
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Whew..Thank Cod!
"the debugger doesn't tell me anything because this code compiles just fine" - random QA comment
"Facebook is where you tell lies to your friends. Twitter is where you tell the truth to strangers." - chriselst
"I don't drink any more... then again, I don't drink any less." - Mike Mullikins uncle
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Just transport the whole kit and caboodle into their engine room, where they'll be no treble at all.
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rnbergren's recent post about variable names was good.
Lots of helpful advice poured in.
I didn't respond but I think that I should have done so.
rnbergren's post was about using frivolous or silly names for Variables and other things in proof of concept code and then using this as in copy and pasting in the real code. Sometimes changing it and sometimes not. Enjoying it or not.
Most responses were like, do it properly in the first place and it won't end up in your production code.
I agree. I have done it in the past but not anymore.
However I do like to be creative and sometimes I look at a previously named function, sub or Var name and marvel in it's relevance. I often comment/remark on the name as well so that it makes sense to others.
Sander Wrote:Quote: So no, I've made doing it "right" a habit and would not even think about naming something "astr" or "ewww" Smile |
OK ewww is a bit weird unless the table has field names like ewww and ahhh. (I love and respect Sander.)
I used to always use nresponse as the throw away variable name for things like the result of an input box within a sub.
I remember using ansStr once which was commented as 'answer string'. So close to astr.
Personally I don't see the problem especially with a throwaway Variable.
It is only there for a few micro seconds.
Every other name is important.
So I am interested in what others use for a throw away variable names used to hold a response from something like an inputbox or similar.
Do you always use the same name and if so what is it?
Or do you change it to suit the situation?
"Rock journalism is people who can't write interviewing people who can't talk for people who can't read." Frank Zappa 1980
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I already voted. Once I am past like 2 stupid variable names or I am past 15 lines of code. Well the whole thing needs to be cleaned up for the masses.
I pretty much only use astr for strings and some other silly ones.
Fun discussion. can't wait to see the posts.
To err is human to really elephant it up you need a computer
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Quote: Fun discussion. can't wait to see the posts.
Yeah same here.
It is something that isn't normally spoken about.
Thanks for steering this one as well.
"Rock journalism is people who can't write interviewing people who can't talk for people who can't read." Frank Zappa 1980
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C# has "institutionalized" throw-away variable names: Discards - C# Guide | Microsoft Docs[^] but they aren't quite what you are talking about.
If you mean that an input box returns a value and you'll use it just once, then don't store it in a variable: use it inline, or give it a sensible name if that'll make your "single line of code" unreadable. "result" is a good one - it at least tells you that it's probably short term, but give you a clue what it contains if extra code is added at a later point.
DialogResult result = MessageBox.Show(prompt, caption, MessageBoxButtons.YesNoCancel);
if (result == DialogResult.Cancel) return;
if (result == DialogResult.Yes)
{
... If later code makes the "Cancel" branch bigger (logging, "Are you sure?" that kinda thing maybe) then the sense of the code is retained.
"I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
"Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
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