Prof. Wit's Stuff: October 2009

Saturday, October 31, 2009

"When We Two Parted," by George Gordon, Lord Byron

"When We Two Parted"

When we two parted

In silence and tears,

Half broken-hearted

To sever for years,

Pale grew thy cheek and cold,

Colder thy kiss;

Truly that hour foretold

Sorrow to this.

The dew of the mourning

Sunk chill on my brow--

It felt like the waning

Of what I feel now.

Thy vows are all broken,

And light is thy fame:

hear thy name spoken,

And share in its shame.

They name thee before me,

Aknell to mine ear;

A shudder comes o'er me--

Why wert thou so dear?

They know not I know thee,

Who knew thee too well:--

Long, long shall I rue thee,

Too deeply to tell.

In secret we met--

In silence I grieve,

That thy heart could forget,

Thy spirit deceive.

If I should meet thee

After long years,

How should I greet thee?--

With silence and tears.

"Love's Philosophy," by Percy Bysshe Shelley

"Love's Philosophy"

I

The fountains mingle with the river

And the rivers with the Ocean,

The winds of Heaven mix for ever

With a sweet emotion;

Nothing in the world is single;

All things by a law divine

In one spirit meet and mingle.

Why not I with thine?--

See the mountains kiss Heaven

And the waves clasp one another;

No sister-flower would be forgiven

If it disdained its brother;

And the sunlight clasps the earth

And the moonbeams kiss the sea:

What is all this sweet work worth

If thou kiss not me?

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

"Something Childish, but Very Natural," by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

"Something Childish, but very Natural"

If I had but two little wings

And were a little feathery bird,

To you, I'd fly, my dear!

But thoughts like these are idle things,

And I stay here.

But in my sleep to you I fly:

I'm always with you in my sleep!

The world is all one's own.

But then one wakes, and where am I?

All, all alone.

Sleep stays not, though a monarch bids:

So I love to wake ere break of day:

For though my sleep be gone,

Yet while 'tis dark, one shuts one's lids,

And still dreams on.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Many Recitations of the Holy Qur'an

The following is a link including ten groups of full recitations of the Holy Qur'an. The recitations are by
1. Abu-Bakr Al-Shateri,
2. Ahmad Bin-Ali Al-Ajami,
3. Al-Ghamidi,
4. Al-Husari,
5. Al-Ghamidi--once again,
6. Muhammad Jibreel,
7. Rashid Al-Afasi,
8. Salah Budair,
9. Yasin Al-Jazairi,
10. Al-Moyakali.
(NB Some of these names are rendered just as they are on the respective site because I could not recognize them.)

Click here to download.

Monday, October 12, 2009

"To Mary," by Charles Wolfe

"To Mary"

If I had thought thou couldst have died,
I might not sweep for thee;
But I forgot, when by thy side,
That thou couldst mortal be:
It never through my mind had past
The time would e'er be over,
And I on thee shouldst smile on me!

And still upon that face I look,
And think 'twill smile again;
And still the thought I will not brook,
That I must look in vain.
But when I speak--thou dost not say
What thou ne'er left'st unsaid;
And now I feel , as well I may,
Sweet Mary, thou art dead!

If thou wouldst stay, e'en as thou art,
All cold and all serene--
I still might press thy silent heart,
And where thy smiles have been.
While e'en thy chill, blake corse I have,
Thou seemest still mine own;
But there--I lay thee in thy grave,
And I am now alone!

I do not think, where'er thou art,
Thou hast forgotten me;
And I, perhaps, may soothe this heart
In thinking too of thee:
Yet there wqas round thee such a dawn
Of light ne'er seen before,
As fancy never could have drwan,
And never can restore!