Analysis of Wisdom of Hafiz: the Philosopher Takes to Racing
Andrew Barton Paterson 1864 (Orange, New South Wales) – 1941 (Sydney, New South Wales)
My son, if you go to the races to battle with Ikey and Mo,
Remember, it's seldom the pigeon can pick out the eye of the crow;
Remember, they live by the business; remember, my son, and go slow.
If ever an owner should tell you, "Back mine" -- don't you be such a flat.
He knows his own cunning no doubt -- does he know what the others are at?
Find out what he's frightened of most, and invest a few dollars on that.
Walk not in the track of the trainer, nor hang round the rails at his stall.
His wisdom belongs to his patron -- shall he give it to one and to all?
When the stable is served he may tell you -- and his words are like jewels let fall.
Run wide of the tipster, who whispers that Borak is sure to be first,
He tells the next mug that he meets with a tale with the placings reversed;
And, remember, of judges of racing, the jockey's the absolute worst.
When they lay three to one on the field, and the runners are twenty-and-two,
Take a pull at yourself; take a pull -- it's a mighty big field to get through.
Is the club handicapper a fool? If a fool is about, p'raps it's you!
Beware of the critic who tells you the handicap's absolute rot,
For this is chucked in, and that's hopeless, and somebody ought to be shot.
How is it he can't make a fortune himself when he knows such a lot?
From tipsters, and jockeys, and trials, and gallops, the glory has gone,
For this is the wisdom of Hafiz that sages have pondered upon,
"The very best tip in the world is to see the commission go on!"
Scheme | AAABBB CCC DDD EEE FFF XGG |
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Poetic Form | |
Metre | 11111101011011001 01011001011101101 01011101001011011 11011011111111101 11111011111101011 11111011001011011 11001101011101111 110011110111111011 1010111111011111011 11101011011011111 1101111110110101 0010110110010101 111111101001011001 101101101101011111 101100011011011111 01101011101101 1111001100101111 11111101001111101 110100100101011 1110101111011001 01011001111001011 |
Characters | 1,507 |
Words | 301 |
Sentences | 15 |
Stanzas | 6 |
Stanza Lengths | 6, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3 |
Lines Amount | 21 |
Letters per line (avg) | 54 |
Words per line (avg) | 14 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 189 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 50 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:33 min read
- 50 Views
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