The moving hand writes, and having writ, moves on...

[redqueen]

I love this line from the Rubiyaat of Omar K. but which is the correct quote?

"The moving hand writes, and having writ moves on. Neither all your tears, nor all your wit, shall lure it back to erase half a line, nor change a word of it."

or

"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."

[plcdude]

1. moving finger

http://www.okonlife.com/poems/page3.htm


check it out

[redqueen]

3. Thanks!

I grew up hearing the first one more often.

[Left Is Write]

5. I have always heard it as "moving finger."

[DinahMoeHum]

2. The second quote is closest to the best known translation

of this work, the "Fitzgerald" (1859) version:

"...The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ,
Moves on: nor all your Piety nor Wit
Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line,
Nor all your Tears wash out a Word of it..."

You might want to check out this interesting link:
http://www.okonlife.com/poems/index.htm

"Rubaiyat" apparently is a plural word for "quatrain" (4-line poems)

Interesting food for thought, IMO.

:think:

[redqueen]

4. Thanks!

Those two 'nor's bother me.

[hfojvt]

6. Taken from Daniel 5:5

Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall...

[redqueen]

8. or not!

[Speck Tater]

7. And this part...

Come fill thy cup and in the fire of spring
thy winter garment of repentence fling.
The bird of time has but little way to flutter
and the bird is on the wing.

(Don't hold me to exact wording. That's just from memory)

(ed:sp)