Guest guest Posted December 29, 2006 Report Share Posted December 29, 2006 Desiderata > Desiderata is Latin for " things to be desired. " > Here's a link that describes its history and authorship... > http://www.fleurdelis.com/desidera.htm > And here's the poem. If you like, you can cut and paste into a word > processor, change to a nice font, and print it out ... > > > -- written by Max Ehrmann in the 1920s -- > Not " Found in Old St. 's Church " ! -- see below > Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, > and remember what peace there may be in silence. > As far as possible, without surrender, > be on good terms with all persons. > Speak your truth quietly and clearly; > and listen to others, > even to the dull and the ignorant; > they too have their story. > Avoid loud and aggressive persons; > they are vexatious to the spirit. > If you compare yourself with others, > you may become vain or bitter, > for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. > Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. > Keep interested in your own career, however humble; > it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time. > Exercise caution in your business affairs, > for the world is full of trickery. > But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; > many persons strive for high ideals, > and everywhere life is full of heroism. > Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. > Neither be cynical about love, > for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, > it is as perennial as the grass. > Take kindly the counsel of the years, > gracefully surrendering the things of youth. > Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. > But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. > Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. > Beyond a wholesome discipline, > be gentle with yourself. > You are a child of the universe > no less than the trees and the stars; > you have a right to be here. > And whether or not it is clear to you, > no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. > Therefore be at peace with God, > whatever you conceive Him to be. > And whatever your labors and aspirations, > in the noisy confusion of life, > keep peace in your soul. > > With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, > it is still a beautiful world. > Be cheerful. Strive to be happy. > > The Confused History of " Desiderata " > In the Public Domain or Copyrighted? > > Insights... > Grasping the inner nature of things intuitively. Beautiful poem! And so true. Thanks. D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 30, 2006 Report Share Posted December 30, 2006 I read Desiderata by chance some years ago. I loved it very much and i have kept it in my poetic collection since then. Here is another poem which i also love very much. ITHAKA By C.P. Cavafy As you set out for Ithaka hope your road is a long one, full of adventure, full of discovery. Laistrygonians, Cyclops, angry Poseidon-don't be afraid of them: you'll never find things like that on your way as long as you keep your thoughts raised high, as long as a rare excitement stirs your spirit and your body. Laistrygonians, Cyclops, wild Poseidon-you won't encounter them unless you bring them along inside your soul, unless your soul sets them up in front of you. Hope your road is a long one. May there be many summer mornings when, with what pleasure, what joy, you enter harbors you're seeing for the first time; may you stop at Phoenician trading stations to buy fine things, mother of pearl and coral, amber and ebony, sensual perfume of every kind- as many sensual perfumes as you can; and may you visit many Egyptian cities to learn and go on learning from their scholars. Keep Ithaka always in your mind. Arriving there is what you're destined for. But don't hurry the journey at all. Better if it lasts for years, so you're old by the time you reach the island, wealthy with all you've gained on the way, not expecting Ithaka to make you rich. Ithaka gave you the marvelous journey. Without her you wouldn't have set out. She has nothing left to give you now. And if you find her poor, Ithaka won't have fooled you. Wise as you will have become, so full of experience, you'll have understood by then what these Ithakas mean. Tita- ------------------------------ > > > Desiderata > > > > Desiderata is Latin for " things to be desired. " > > Here's a link that describes its history and authorship... > > http://www.fleurdelis.com/desidera.htm > > And here's the poem. If you like, you can cut and paste into a word > > processor, change to a nice font, and print it out ... > > > > > > -- written by Max Ehrmann in the 1920s -- > > Not " Found in Old St. 's Church " ! -- see below > > Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, > > and remember what peace there may be in silence. > > As far as possible, without surrender, > > be on good terms with all persons. > > Speak your truth quietly and clearly; > > and listen to others, > > even to the dull and the ignorant; > > they too have their story. > > Avoid loud and aggressive persons; > > they are vexatious to the spirit. > > If you compare yourself with others, > > you may become vain or bitter, > > for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. > > Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. > > Keep interested in your own career, however humble; > > it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time. > > Exercise caution in your business affairs, > > for the world is full of trickery. > > But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; > > many persons strive for high ideals, > > and everywhere life is full of heroism. > > Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. > > Neither be cynical about love, > > for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, > > it is as perennial as the grass. > > Take kindly the counsel of the years, > > gracefully surrendering the things of youth. > > Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. > > But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. > > Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. > > Beyond a wholesome discipline, > > be gentle with yourself. > > You are a child of the universe > > no less than the trees and the stars; > > you have a right to be here. > > And whether or not it is clear to you, > > no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. > > Therefore be at peace with God, > > whatever you conceive Him to be. > > And whatever your labors and aspirations, > > in the noisy confusion of life, > > keep peace in your soul. > > > > With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, > > it is still a beautiful world. > > Be cheerful. Strive to be happy. > > > > The Confused History of " Desiderata " > > In the Public Domain or Copyrighted? > > > > Insights... > > Grasping the inner nature of things intuitively. > > > > Beautiful poem! And so true. Thanks. > > > D. > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 30, 2006 Report Share Posted December 30, 2006 It was 30 Dec 2006, when Mari ch commented: > I read Desiderata by chance some years ago. I loved it very much and i have > kept it in my poetic collection since then. Here is another poem which i > also love very much. > > ITHAKA > By C.P. Cavafy > > > As you set out for Ithaka > hope your road is a long one, > full of adventure, full of discovery. Thank you. I'll save this for later. I've been tinkering with podcasting, and I might record a reading of this just to see what it sounds like. Rather cool. Didn't recall Ithaca being spelled that way, but I suppose there's more than one right way. -- <dbsmith at atbbs.dyndns.org> " And that's the news from Lake Wobegon, where all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average. " -- Garrison Keilor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 30, 2006 Report Share Posted December 30, 2006 If you woder if Ithaka is the right spelling yes it is for all foreigners. For Greeks it sounds and the spelling is different. Here is a link in which you can read the tranlsation of the poem in English: http://ithaca.rice.edu/kz/Misc/Ithaka.html But to be honest i always believe that it is better to be read in the authentic version hence in the language that it is written. That is for every poem of course. But i cann understand that isn't possible so we enjoy even the translation. Tita > > It was 30 Dec 2006, when Mari ch commented: > > > I read Desiderata by chance some years ago. I loved it very much and i > have > > kept it in my poetic collection since then. Here is another poem which i > > also love very much. > > > > ITHAKA > > By C.P. Cavafy > > > > > > As you set out for Ithaka > > hope your road is a long one, > > full of adventure, full of discovery. > > Thank you. I'll save this for later. I've been tinkering with > podcasting, and I might record a reading of this just to see what it > sounds like. Rather cool. Didn't recall Ithaca being spelled that way, > but I suppose there's more than one right way. > > -- > > <dbsmith at atbbs.dyndns.org> > " And that's the news from Lake Wobegon, where > all the women are > strong, all the men are good-looking, and all > the children are above > average. " -- Garrison Keilor > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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