h2g2 Rubaiyat: Allbum Edition
Created | Updated Mar 21, 2013
The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam
(The h2g2 version was published in The Post between October 2012 and January 2013)Edward Fitzgerald's Original
- a version for h2g2 -
with a change or two
(In true Fitzgerald tradition)
Verse 1
Awake! for Morning in the Bowl of Night
Has flung the Stone that puts the Stars to Flight:
And Lo! the Hunter of the East has caught
The Sultan's Turret in a Noose of Light.
Ah! Wiki! Thou hast cast a net
To banish darkness from the web - and yet
'Tis not the guide we think we ought to get
Two Hoots, we say - by far the better bet
Verse 11
Here with a Loaf of Bread beneath the Bough,
A Flask of Wine, a Book of Verse---and Thou
Beside me singing in the Wilderness---
And Wilderness is Paradise enow.
Here with a flask of wine to fill my glass,
A tinfoil hat, a random choice
and Goo before me in the hootooness
And hootooness is paradise enow
Verse 34
Then to this earthen Bowl did I adjourn
My Lip the secret Well of Life to learn:
And Lip to Lip it murmur'd---"While you live
"Drink!--- for once dead you never shall return."
Then to this Hoo-tooan site did I adjourn
My eye th'approv-ed wisdom it should learn
But this one thing alone to me it gave:
To drink, to stumble, drink more, gurn.
Verse 36
For in the Market-place, one Dusk of Day,
I watch'd the Potter thumping his wet Clay:
And with its all obliterated Tongue It murmur'd---
"Gently, Brother, gently, pray!"
For one opinion piece at dusk of day
That poster, thumping tub, did cry "Oyez"
And th'assembled watchers sighed as one
Murm'ring –"Restrain it, Poster - gently, pray!"
Verse 49
'Tis all a Chequer-board of Nights and Days
Where Destiny with Men for Pieces plays:
Hither and thither moves and mates and slays,
And one by one back in the Closet lays.
T'is all a Chequer-board of Ayes and Nayes
Where t'Power That Be with Us as pieces plays:
We think, we type, we post, we gaze,
Then “Server's down - try later please”.
Verse 51
The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ,
Moves on: nor all thy Piety nor Wit
Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line,
Nor all thy Tears wash out a Word of it.
The roving snigger types and, having typed, posts it
Nor all our pity nor t' sniggerer's wit
Shall nighthoover it back to cancel half the pain...
Nor – but Wait - Who was that who Yikes-ed it?
Verse 71
And much as Wine has play'd the Infidel
And robb'd me of my Robe of Honour---well,
I often wonder what the Vintners buy
One half so precious as the Goods they sell.
And much as Posts have play'd the Infidel
And robb'd me of my Robe of Honour – – – well,
I often wonder what You Others show
One half so precious as the stuff you del.
Verse 73
Ah Love! could thou and I with Fate conspire
To grasp this sorry Scheme of Things entire,
Would not we shatter it to bits---and then
Re-mould it nearer to the Heart's Desire!
Ah Love! did some of you with Hoo conspire
To grasp that sorry Scheme of Things entire,
Did not you shatter it to bits - - - and then
Re-mould it nearer to Our Heart's Desire!
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Here endeth the allbum edition
Rod
