A Book of Verses underneath the Bough,
A Jug of Wine, a Loaf of Breadand Thou
Beside me singing in the Wilderness
Oh, Wilderness were Paradise enow!

The quatrain above comes from Edward Fitzgerald’s second edition of The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, 1868. Fitzgerald’s treatments of Omar Khayyam’s poems brought the Persian poet to the attention of the western world more than 700 years after the poems were written.

Omar Khayyam

Omar Khayyam (1048-1123) was born in Nishapur, the capital city of Khurasan, Persia, now Iran. He was born Ghiyath al-Din Abul Fateh Omar Ibn Ibrahim al-Khayyam. Little is know of his early life but the name Khayyam means “tentmaker” and signifies that either Omar or his father Ibrahim may have practiced that trade.

Omar was educated locally and completed a treatise on algebra as a youth. He came to the attention of Sultan Malik Shah who offered Omar presence in the royal court. The Vizier Nizam al-Mulk gave Omar a pension which enabled him to devote himself to research in his favorite subjects of mathematics and astronomy. He was commissioned to build an observatory in Isfahan, and he was later assigned with eight other scholars to revise the Muslim calendar. Omar published several books on astronomy and algebra which rivaled the studies of contemporary Europeans.

Though noted as a mathematician and astronomer, Omar wrote poems throughout his life. His preferred style was to write four line quatrains, and it is thought that he wrote about one thousand of them during his life. Not all of the manuscripts survived but about 600 poems have been attributed to him, though most critics agree that not all of those were written by Omar Khayyam.

The word rubaiyat is a plural noun referring to the four line quatrains that Omar wrote. Each quatrain can correctly be called a rubai. In modern convention rubaiyat now refers to a four line poem with a rhyme scheme of aaba where each line expresses a complete thought.

The major themes in Omar’s rubaiyat are the mortality of the human spirit and the fragile nature of human existence. The tone of his poems is often pessimistic. Omar writes vividly about the impossibility of understanding the universe. As a counterpoint he also writes about the wisdom of living in the moment, sharing friendship, and the conviviality of enjoying wine in the tavern.

Not surprisingly, Omar’s poems were viewed with suspicion by orthodox Muslims. Since wine and drunkenness were prohibited by Islamic law, effort was made to interpret his poems about wine metaphorically, as in spiritual or romantic intoxication.

Omar said to a student near the end of his life, “My tomb shall be in a spot where the north wind may scatter roses over it.” Omar Khayyam died in Nishapur in 1131. According to the biography by Ali ibn Azidu’l-Baihaqi, Omar called his family to hear his last wishes and said, “Oh Lord, I have known You according to the sum of my ability. Pardon me since verily my knowledge is my recommendation to You.”

Edward Fitzgerald’s Treatment

The world knew very little about Omar Khayyam’s poetry until Edward Fitzgerald’s second edition of The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam in 1868. The first edition of 250 copies was published in 1859 anonymously and unnoticed. However the 1868 edition was surprisingly well received. The edition treated 101 of Omar Khayyam’s quatrains as one long poem. Many critics believed that it was an English poem with Persian allusions.

Fitzgerald did not translate Omar’s poems literally. He freely reinterpreted them and even combined some of the poems to make a whole new poem. However his translation was inspired and skillful, faithful to the soul of Omar Khayyam’s poems if not to his words.

In fact, Fitzgerald spoke of his work not as a translation but as a transmogrification. Fortunately, Fitzgerald’s work is so good that few in the western world mind the fact that some of the work is Fitzgerald’s own creation.

Fitzgerald created quatrains with iambic pentameter. That is, the meter of each line contains five feet, and each foot is iambic with an unaccented syllable followed by an accented syllable. The rhyme pattern for the four lines is aaba.

Notice the last line of “A Book of Verses underneath the Bough” where Fitzgerald chose the word enow in order to produce the final iambic foot.

Other Translations

There are numerous sources to view and read Omar Khayyam’s Rubaiyat in the original Farsi language.

The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam has been translated into many languages worldwide. Many English translations have followed Fitzgerald’s. For interest and the sake of comparison, here are a few additional translations of the “A Book of Verses underneath the Bough” quatrain.

From the first edition by Fitzgerald, still in iambic pentameter:

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.

From the 1882 edition by Edward Henry Whinfield:

In the sweet spring a grassy bank I sought
And thither wine and a fair Houri brought;
And, though the people called me graceless dog,
Gave not to Paradise another thought!

From the 1888 translation by John Leslie Garner:

Yes, Loved One, when the Laughing Spring is blowing,
With Thee beside me and the Cup o’erflowing,
I pass the day upon this Waving Meadow,
And dream the while, no thought on Heaven bestowing.

From the 1898 prose translation by Edward Heron-Allen:

I desire a little ruby wine and a book of verses,
Just enough to keep me alive, and half a loaf is needful;
And then, that I and thou should sit in a desolate place
Is better than the kingdom of a sultan.

Lastly, just for fun, here is Wendy Cope’s transcription of the struggling South London amateur poet, a character she created, Jason Strugnell’s translation:

Here with a Bag of Crisps beneath the Bough,
A Can of Beer, a Radio - and Thou
Beside me half asleep in Brockwell Park
And Brockwell Park is Paradise enow.

At least he got the enow part right.

Garry Gamber is a public school teacher and entrepreneur. He writes articles about politics, real estate, health and nutrition, and internet dating services. He is the owner of http://www.Anchorage-Homes.com and http://www.TheDatingAdvisor.com.

Comments Off

Cycling Success depends on finding the right bicycle for you

Depending on the type of Triathlon you’re interested in competing in, the amount of time spent on your bike will differ. You’ll end up cycling anywhere from 12.4 miles on up to 112 miles in the Ultra.

You can end up spending a lot of money on your specialized bike clothes and accessories. But before you spend any money on your jersey or sunglasses, consider the two pieces that you must have: the helmet and the bike. And of those two, finding the right bike for you is paramount.

Luckily, you have a lot of bikes to choose from

Experts recommend that you either get a bike that is made just for triathlons, a time-trail bike or a road bike. The bike made just for triathlons differs from the other two in that the seat post moves the rider up into a running position and both wheels are smaller, requiring less energy to cycle.

To a new triathlete, a touring or mountain bike might not seem that different than one of the bikes listed above.

It’s important, however, to set aside enough of your budget to get a specialized bike when you compete in triathlons.

A Triathlon Guide for triathlete enthusiasts.

Want to read more on Swimming, Running, Cycling or Triathlon training…

http://www.triathlon-guide.com

Comments Off

Beat A Drug Test

Drug examine has become a public problem across the world. Numerous parties execute drug trials on freshly hired people or active employees to assure a drug-free surrounding at work.

Insurance offices and courts guide drug screens on a regular ground on distrusted people. The key enquiry that comes to your mind, when you go for some trial is how to pass any drug trial?

Cyber sites much like Drug Pass Test Water offers up the most advanced detox products including perm cleaners, imitation urine products, and saliva purifying products, detox drinks and home drug screen kits.

Drug Testing For Valium

Passing The Drug Test proposes professional support for every product, with support catered by drug test counselors all are extremely seasoned with diverse types of drug testing methodologies and results. Support is available by electronic mail and telephone. Shipping is quick, with complete privacy assured, using plainly and discrete boxing materials to preserve undivided customer privateness.

Drug Pass Screening Test

Enclosed on the new website is a colossal order of products for cleansing and screening intentions. Permanent cleaners are offered in 3, 5 and 7, 10, 14, 21 and 30 day products, with a assortment of herbs, roots, barks and minerals that are celebrated lipoids destroyers which work to break down fat cells and eradicate toxins entirely. Phoney urine is provided, which contains all components normally incurred in weewee, specially balanced for pH with specific gravity, creatin and other weewee characteristics. A saliva cleansing mouthwash is tendered which cleanses toxins from the mouth with barely 3 minutes of use. We provide a range of detoxification drinks, for each one bearing the best active herbs and fiber to help rid the body of toxins that may have accumulated.

If you use MSN to research the internet for us here are 10 Strategic phrases to apply to find out our web site.

Passing A Hair Follicle Drug Test

Ways To Pass A Urine Drug Test as well provides drug testing kits including saliva, hair and urine based tests to see to it that detoxify efforts are effective. For more information, visit Methamphetamine Drug Test If you have any questions, please call us at: 888-942-6622

Comments Off

While the information in this guide deals with a New Zealand example, many of the points are relevant in other countries.

When you come to setting up a radio station, you have two very different options. The first choice is to apply for a full power commercial FM license. This type of license allows you to broadcast over a large area. The drawbacks with a full power FM license are that it is often a complicated process, that no frequency may be available in the area you wish to broadcast, and that ongoing fees apply.

Another option is to set up a low power FM radio station. In New Zealand, there are no ongoing fees to operate this type of station - however you do need to pay nominal annual fees to APRA and RIANZ for music royalties. You do need to ensure however that your transmission equipment is compliant with Radio Spectrum Management regulations. Additionally, as is the case with any radio station, all your broadcasts need to comply with the Broadcasting Act. Fundamentally this means your broadcasts must be in good taste. The advantages that a low power FM radio station have over a commercial station is that is is much less expensive to set up at the outset, your likelihood of finding a suitable frequency are much higher, and there are far fewer ongoing costs.

When operating a low power FM station, you need to determine who your audience is. If you are broadcasting in an area where there are already a number of resident commercial stations, you may enjoy more success by broadcasting niche programming that appeals to an audience not currently served by the full power FM stations. Alternatively for those who are located in a more rural area or town, you then have the opportunity to set your station up as the local alternative to what is already available. Generally a local station competing against a station being beamed in by satellite from one of the main centres will attract a great deal of local community support.

When it comes to setting up a low power FM radio station, you need to bear in mind these points. The studio space should ideally be away from external sources of noise (i.e. not located next to a construction site), and should be a small room. Larger rooms tend to generate echo that can get down the microphone and on air. When it comes to the equipment, there are a few specialist items you will require. These include the transmitter and antenna system, a limiter / compressor, a unit to balance the audio, as well as a device to enable you to take phone calls on air. In addition, ideally your station will also have a mixing desk, microphones, headphones, CD player, audio cables, a computer system and radio automation software. You will also need licenses from APRA and RIANZ that cover your music royalty responsibilities. For the most basic setup however, it is possible to make do with simply the transmitter and antenna system and your music licenses.

In New Zealand, people broadcasting on a low power FM basis must use transmission equipment that meets spurious emission limits, and which has a maximum power output of 500mW. While this is a fraction of the power that a full power commercial radio station would broadcast at, provided you have a good site and the antenna is mounted correctly, you can enjoy coverage of up to 10 square kilometres. The frequencies you may broadcast on are 88.1 - 88.7 FM and 106.7 - 107.7 FM. The factor that has the greatest influence on how far your broadcast will go is the height of your antenna - the higher, the better.

It is also necessary to consider the following points:

- determine that the likely broadcast area of your station will not interfere, or receive interference, from other people broadcasting on low power FM freqencies in your area.

- you must ensure that your broadcast signal is adequately compressed and that is not too wide

- ensure that the radio automation software you use is reliable and is fully tested to operate trouble-free operation

- your station needs to be logically programmed in order to sound professional

- ensure that all your broadcasts comply with broadcast standards and other regulations

Developing a successful station involves much more than simply obtaining a low power FM transmitter, plugging it in and playing music on air. By carefully setting up your station and ensuring that your broadcasts bear in mind the target audience, you can be assured of much enjoyment, an insight into the fascinating radio industry, and perhaps even a new career.

Tony Katavich has set up several low power FM radio stations in New Zealand and has managed a commercial radio station.

tony@themulcher.co.nz
http://www.themulcher.co.nz

Comments Off

Something that is commonly found at the very bottom of the list of priorities whilst preparing for a college career is medical insurance for college students. At that age, health insurance is the last thing on a student’s mind. In your 20’s you will typically believe that you will live forever and you’ll never become ill.

Alas, this is seldom true no matter how healthy an individual may seem. Appropriate student medical insurance isn’t for those with a lot of money, it’s an absolute essential.

For those who are lucky enough included in a family policy, in general most of them will cover a student up to the age of twenty-three. For anyone who doesn’t currently have coverage under a family insurance policy, an important part in planning for a college education will be researching inexpensive health insurance.

So what should a student look out for in a plan designed specifically for college students? So what’s your deductible? It is a yearly amount you have to pay before any health benefits starting, like a car insurance policy. To illustrate, should the deductible be $500, you have to pay that amount before receiving benefits from the plan. So what is a co-pay? When your deductible is met, usually for every physician’s visit, medication, or procedure you will need to contribute a pre-determined portion of the cost. This, in a nutshell, is a co-pay. What is your range of cover? Many plans are Health Maintenance Organization and Partnership for Prescription Assistance. Basically this can mean particular physicians may be omitted from your list of health professionals and might not be covered under a health insurance plan. Most policies include a directory of participating providers, so consider that when you pick out a health insurance policy designed for college students.

What exactly does the phrase catastrophic insurance coverage mean? Limitations are common in college student health insurance policies especially with reference to more serious illness, the extent of cover included in most student medical insurance policies is by and large smaller than a standard plan. So what are the restrictions? Student health insurance plans may include some restrictions. It’s very important to read over the insurance policy thoroughly to discover what is and is not included. Keep all your health insurance papers secure everywhere. Accidents and illnesses are not just impossible to predict, but they are most likely to come about at a bad time. Ensure you’re acquainted with your plan, whether you’re covered by your parent’s insurance policyplan or with your own insurance plan.

Comments Off