%
% The Rub\'ai'y\'at of Programmer Khayy\'am
%
% Ian Stewart and/or Robin Jones (probably)
% amended by Reuben Thomas summer 1993 and 25/7/00
%
% Reset from Impression Publisher with poetry package 25/7/00; took
% advantage of poemnotes package 18/12/00; used my poem package
% 21/12/00; made HeVeA-friendly 11/2/02
%


\documentclass[english]{article}
\usepackage{a4,babel,palatino}
\usepackage[utf8x]{inputenc}
\usepackage{poem}
\setcounter{poemchunksize}{50}

\pagestyle{empty}


\begin{document}
\begin{poem}
\title{The Rub\'ai’y\'at of Programmer Khayy\'am}
\stanza*
Awake! For Morning's fickle Hand doth load \\
Updated Software in the daylight Mode. \\
\tab Return from sluggish Subroutine of Night: \\
DIM the Array, but brilliant the Code! \\

\stanza*
Myself when young did eagerly frequent \\
The Mainframe Room, and heard great Argument; \\
\tab But evermore it seemed I must emerge \\
By that same Interface wherein I went. \\

\stanza*
Ah, but my Computations, people say, \\
Process the Text to clearer Meaning? Nay, \\
\tab Though Man may seek the Symbols to construe, \\
The Greater Editor will have his way. \\

\stanza*
The User programs while the Disk-Drives whisk; \\
Taps the mad Keyboard of a Mind at risk. \\
\tab The work of Years comes suddenly to Naught \\
As random Noise corrupts the floppy Disk. \\

\stanza*
Some for the Glories of this World, and some \\
Sigh for a Pointer to the World To Come. \\
\tab Ah, seize the Output, let the Record go, \\
Nor heed the Rumble of magnetic Drum! \\

\stanza*
A User-Manual 'neath a labelled Tree, \\
A pint of Beer, a Ploughman's Lunch and Thee! \\
\tab What care I then for Megabytes? \\
Thy tiniest Bits yield Megabytes for me. \\

\stanza*
The moving Cursor writes, and having writ \\
Moves on: nor all your Piety nor Wit \\
\tab Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line, \\
Nor all your Tears wash out a Word of it. \\

\stanza*
But wait! say ye: The Console's Cursor Keys \\
Can Backspace, Rubout, Edit as we please? \\
\tab Not so! These merely tidy the Display: \\
Still the grim Input's in the Memories. \\

\stanza*
Some peek the ROM of Time's predestined Flight; \\
Some seek within Life's RAM new Lines to write. \\
\tab In vain each strives t'assemble faultless Code, \\
For still Death's Digits poke the final Byte. \\

\author{Ian Stewart and Robin Jones}
\poemdate{Early 1980s}
\poemdate{Amended by Reuben Thomas summer 1993 and 25th July 2000}
\end{poem}
\begin{notes}
From a book by Ian Stewart and Robin Jones (either \emph{Peek, Poke,
Byte and RAM}, or its sequel) on programming the ZX81.
\end{notes}
\end{document}
