Grooks

2007-07-22T05:26:00.000-07:00

Piet Hein is a Danish mathematician who created some extraordinarily wise and witty messages to the world through short, crisp and pithy verses which he called 'grooks' . He translated them into English and German himself.

Like proverbs or sayings in Latin, Urdu, Sanskrit, where a lot is conveyed in a little, these grooks express a wide segment of worldly-wise wisdom with considerable brevity. They are a delight to read, not straining the faculties too much, of a length ranging from two lines to about twenty. Average is five.

As in the
Latin
nil nisi bonum ... of the dead speak no ill,

or the Urdu
Khuda to husn hee detaa hai......The Lord merely gives a woman beauty, the tenderness, grace
Nazakat aah hi jaati hai and gentleness come by themselves

or Sanskrit
Paropa-kaarartham....... This body was created solely for the purpose of helping others;
Idham sareeram selfless and noble of purpose.

that conveys so much with so little

A sample of grooks:

<>CONSOLATION GROOK

Losing one glove

is certainly painful,

but nothing

   compared to the pain,

of losing one,

throwing away the other,

and finding

   the first one again.

<>T. T. T.

Put up in a place

where it's easy to see

the cryptic admonishment

     T. T. T.

<>When you feel how depressingly

slowly you climb,

it's well to remember that

     Things Take Time.



MANKIND
Men, said the Devil,
are good to their brothers:
they don’t want to mend
their own ways, but each other's.

CIRCUMSCRIPTURE 
As Pastor X steps out of bed
he slips a neat disguise on:
that halo round his priestly head    
is really his horizon.


LILAC TIME 
The lilacs are flowering, sweet and sublime,     
with a perfume that goes to the head;
and lovers meander in prose and rhyme,trying to say--for the thousandth time --
what's easier done than said.


EXPERTS
Experts have
their expert fun
ex cathedra
telling one
just how nothing
can be done.


MY FAITH IN DOCTORS
My faith in doctors     
is immense.
Just one thing spoils it;    
their pretence
of authorised     
omniscience.


THE ROAD TO WISDOM 
The road to wisdom? -- Well, it's plain
and simple to express:           
Err          
and err           
and err again           
but less          
and less          
and less.


THAT IS THE QUESTION
Hamlet Anno Domini. 

Co-existence
or no existence.


LOSING FACE 
The noble art of losing face
may one day save the human race    
and turn into eternal merit
what weaker minds would call disgrace.


MEETING THE EYE 
You'll probably find      
that it suits your book
to be a bit cleverer      
than you look.
Observe that the easiest      
method by far
is to look a bit stupider      
than you are.


THE CASE FOR OBSCURITY
On Thoughts and Words I. 

If no thought
your mind does visit,
make your speech
not too explicit.


GROOK ON LONG-WINDED AUTHORS
Long-winded writers I abhor,    
and glib, prolific chatters;
give me the ones who tear and gaw   
their hair and pens to tatters:
who find their writing such a chore    
they only write what matters.


THOUGHTS ON A STATION PLATFORM 
It ought to be plain
how little you gain
by getting excited 
and vexed.
You'll always be late
for the previous train,
and always in time  
for the next.


ABREAST 
He who aims
to keep abreast
is for ever
second best.


WHAT PEOPLE MAY THINK
Some people cower   
and wince and shrink,
owing to fear of   
what people may think.
There is one answer   
to worries like these:
people may think   
what the devil they please.


REFLECTION ON SIZE 
Small people often overrate
the charm of being tall;
which is, that you appreciate
the charm of being small.


THAT'S WHY
Why do bad writers     
win the fight?
Why do good writers     
die in need?
Because the writers     
who can't write
are read by the readers    
who can't read.


More later

The ISS Forum community

2007-07-21T09:40:00.000-07:00

This is a salute to all the gentle souls who have populated the ISS Forum, more especially those who illuminated the thread "Who Is Dr Nair", created by Ramu Karyat, the namesake of the famous man who made Kerala's first President's medal winning movie, Chemmeen. The thread, on a review site for a musical talent search program on television, is a meeting place for people who do not discuss just music (in fact many times no music at all) but also subjects as far apart and unrelated as the birth of Communism, the nuances of the Madhyamavati raagam, the literary genius of Malayalam masters like Nalappatt side by side with the compelling philosophy and research of Colin Wilson, Eric von Dannikken and the like. The site also examines social and cultural iniquities in society, talks extensively about books, movies, and yes , music as well. In a most erudite fashion. All of them, Ramu, Ashaj, drmusic, ramaanujan, hari (aka mallufan, aka MF) CIA, samam, Maria Chacko, ujwaluma,... make visiting this thread a connoisseur's delight.

This blog is just developing. Wish it your very best.

The Rubaiyat

Grooks

The ISS Forum community