I know time is arbitary, and depending on your timezone you would have been spending it differently from say someone across the world but as a snapshot of your life how did you spend the 9th second, of the 9th minute , of the 9th day of the 9th month of year 9?
Perhaps it is a sign of middle age when you emotionally not just mentally grasp that your time is precious and you will not live forever. You imagine yourself and others looking back at a life spent and wonder if it was spent well.
Here are two poems to mark the occasion, the first from Omar Khayam:
And, as the Cock crew, those who stood before
The Tavern shouted - "Open then the Door!
You know how little time we have to stay,
And once departed, may return no more."
Alike for those who for TO-DAY prepare,
And that after a TO-MORROW stare,
A Muezzin from the Tower of Darkness cries
"Fools! your reward is neither Here nor There!"
Why, all the Saints and Sages who discuss'd
Of the Two Worlds so learnedly, are thrust
Like foolish Prophets forth; their Words to Scorn
Are scatter'd, and their mouths are stopt with Dust.
Oh, come with old Khayyam, and leave the Wise
To talk; one thing is certain, that Life flies;
One thing is certain, and the Rest is Lies;
The Flower that once has blown for ever dies.
Myself when young did eagerly frequent
Doctor and Saint, and heard great Argument
About it and about: but evermore
Came out of the same Door as in I went.
With them the Seed of Wisdom did I sow,
And with my own hand labour'd it to grow:
And this was all the Harvest that I reap'd -
"I came like Water, and like Wind I go."
Into this Universe, and why not knowing,
Nor whence, like Water willy-nilly flowing:
And out of it, as Wind along the Waste,
I know not whither, willy-nilly blowing.
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.
And that inverted Bowl we call The Sky,
Whereunder crawling coop't we live and die,
Lift not thy hands to It for help - for It
Rolls impotently on as Thou or I.
Here is what John Milton wrote when he realized he was losing his sight:-
Sonnet 19 (Sonnet XIX)
When I consider how my light is spent
John Milton
When I consider how my light is spent,
Ere half my days, in this dark world and wide,
And that one talent which is death to hide
Lodged with me useless, though my soul more bent
To serve therewith my Maker, and present
My true account, lest He returning chide,
"Doth God exact day-labour, light denied?"
I fondly ask; But patience, to prevent
That murmur, soon replies "God doth not need
Either man's work or his own gifts. Who best
Bear His mild yoke, they serve Him best. His state
Is kingly: thousands at His bidding speed
And post o'er land and ocean without rest;
They also serve who only stand and wait."
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man kardam .. It was very Nice.
by k1s1000 on Thu Sep 10, 2009 04:23 PM PDTThanks for reminding me on 9/11/09 that I screwed my lover on 9/9/09 . It was VERY nice.
I did bet on horse number 9
by Curious Joe on Thu Sep 10, 2009 02:36 AM PDTAnd guess what ... He became the 9th horse to pass the finish line.
So, I lost. Now, you go figure...
I've been told that "9" is a symbolic number among the Bahai's. Is that true? If so why? What is the big deal about # 9 ?
When I go to the subway stations in Germany, and I need a 9 Euro ticket at the counter, I bang on the counter and scream 9. 9. 9. The ticket sales person always wonders why I am so upset. He thinks I am shouting at him "NO. NO. NO". One of them even said to me (in German): "I'm sorry, I don't know what I've done wrong, but I apologize anyway" !!
Remember: The German word for "No" is Nine
Oops...double post!
by Azarin Sadegh on Wed Sep 09, 2009 08:35 PM PDT... the effects of drinking too much coffee!
Sipping my starbucks coffee..:-)
by Azarin Sadegh on Wed Sep 09, 2009 08:27 PM PDTAs usual, (like yesterday and the day before and last week and probably like tomorrow) I had already bought my cafe au lait at Starbucks, and I think I was happily drinking it at 9:09:09 this morning, getting ready to open The Word!
Now what's going to be my future?
Funny that The Beatles are mentioned
by Kaveh Nouraee on Wed Sep 09, 2009 05:01 PM PDTDK...
Interesting relationship between The Beatles and the number 9, as I'm sure you know.
John Lennon's birthday: October 9, 1940. His son Sean was born on that day in 1975.
Brian Epstein first met the Beatles at the Cavern Club on November 9, 1961
The Beatles recording contract with EMI was signed on May 9, 1962.
John Lennon met Yoko Ono (unfortunately) on November 9, 1966.
John lived at The Dakota in NYC. The address is 1 West 72nd St. (7+2=9)
Beatles songs include "Revolution 9" and "One After 909"
John Lennon's solo work includes #9 Dream, released on his 9th non-Beatles project, released in September 1974 (the 9th month).
And the part that really gives me the creeps:
Was declared dead at 11:07PM EST on December 8, 1980. (1+1+7=9)
At the time of his murder in NYC, in Liverpool, it was December 9.
Dear Irandokht
by ramintork on Wed Sep 09, 2009 04:27 PM PDTThanks for your brief on 09-09-09.
The persian version of Khayam would be here somewhere:-
http://ganjoor.net/khayyam/robaee/
9-9-9
by maziar 58 on Wed Sep 09, 2009 03:43 PM PDTNYN NYNiNyne. as they say it here in the south'. the radio station we have here 105.9 fm playing beatles non stop all days today.
ooh god the memorries of YESTERDAYEARS.
PS. I enjoyed mrs. Irandokhts' oostorlab.
Maziar
Dear Ramin
by IRANdokht on Wed Sep 09, 2009 02:04 PM PDTDo you happen to have the Farsi copy of that Khayyam poem?
Also on the subject of 09-09-09, I saw this piece of trivia and thought about how any fact in our lives can be over-analyzed and blown out of proportion!
September 9, 2009, is the 252nd day of the year, 252 adds to 9, and 09-09-09 = 27. * 09-09-09 is also the last of the single-digits dates for quite a while - 92 years to be precise. * It is also the upside-down numbe...r of "the beast" - Satan = 666, of course. * The day itself falls on a Wednesday and both Wednesday & September have 9 letters
IRANdokht
...
by capt_ayhab on Wed Sep 09, 2009 01:23 PM PDTBefore I know it, it was 09-09-09-09-10 and I missed it all ;-)May be I'll beter equiped on 10-10-10-10-10, or 11/11/11/11/11
But I am waiting for 12/21/2012 - end of Mayan calendar to see what happens .
-YT
FYI/ONCE IN A CENTURY: 09/09/2009
by Darius Kadivar on Wed Sep 09, 2009 12:31 PM PDTI bought the Beatles Collector ... What Else ? ;0)
http://www.iranian.com/main/news/2009/09/09/last-newly-re-mastered-beatles-cds-are-shops