"Flakes of the water, on the waters cease! / Soul of the body, melt and sleep like these."

[larryhammer]

Three kinds of poetry make a post.

some lines are short lines

So a while back, I posted about finding an extract of a translation of Lucretius into rubaiyat stanzas, which was, yes, just as bad as it sounds. At the risk of having sovey drink herself into the grave, a follow-up:

Behold, the complete text of Lucretius on Life and Death, in the Metre of Omar Khayyám.

There is, in fact, one thing heartening about finding this: learning that Mallock, W. H. (1849-1923) did not in fact attempt a complete translation in this manner -- this is extracts only. My memories of De rerum natura a bit dim, as it's been a while, but I recognize a couple passages that I recall as among those most amenable to bending into FitzGeraldian philosophasting.

I nonetheless remain in awe at the effort -- and not the good sort of awe.

others run a bit longer

My poem for nineweaving, "Winter Advice," is in the current issue of Goblin Fruit, along with art by rose_lemberg and excellent poems by the likes of shweta_narayan and csecooney.

i like the short ones

Fluid dynamics simulation using javascript. (also available in ascii) (via)

---L.

Comments

[nineweaving.livejournal.com]

"...your crack-mazed cup..."

O my! How beautiful. How kind. I will keep it as a talisman.

Many many thanks.

Nine

[larryhammer]

Oh yay, you liked it.

---L.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

Philosophasting, eh? That's a great word ^_^

Enjoyed your poem very much.

And omg that fluid dynamics simulator is FUN.

[larryhammer]

I could play with that thing for hours.

Well, 40 minutes, anyway, until I noticed the time ...

---L.

[sovay]

Oh sightless eyes! Oh hands that toil in vain!
Not such your needs. Your nature's needs are twain,
And only twain: and these are to be free—
Your minds from terror, and your bones from pain.

KILL ME NOW EPICURUS.

[larryhammer]

That, or stop reading.

---L.