Cable of Greetings

His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said

His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has sent a cable of greetings to President Dr Mohammed Moncef Marzouki of the Tunisian Republic on the occasion of the Republic Day.

In his cable, His Majesty the Sultan expressed his sincere greetings along with his best wishes of good health, happiness and a long life to President Marzouki, praying to Allah the Almighty for the return of this and similar occasions on him to achieve the aspirations of brotherly Tunisian people

Contrary to confusing rumours, there is no evidence that he attached the following paragraphs, but he could have.

Close to the Edge – Yes (back cover)

A seasoned witch could call you from the depths of your disgrace / And rearrange your liver to the solid mental grace / Achieve it all with music that came quickly from afar / Then taste the fruit of man recorded losing all against the hour / And assessing points to nowhere leading every single one  / A dewdrop can exalt us like the music of the sun / And take away the plain in which we move /And choose the course you’re running…

Chirimoya, also known as custard apple

Large fruit which are uniformly green, without cracks or mostly browned skin, are best. Unripe chirimoyas will ripen at room temperature, when they will yield to gentle pressure. Ripe fruits keep better in the refrigerator. Different varieties have different flavors, textures, and shapes. Shapes can range from imprint areoles, flat areoles, slight bump or point areoles, full areoles, and combinations of these shapes. The flavor of the flesh ranges from mellow sweet to tangy or acidic sweet, with variable suggestions of pineapple, banana, pear, papaya, strawberry or other berry, and apple, depending on the variety.

The Talmud

Once I was travelling on a road and seeing a beaten path leading across a meadow I took that path. Said a little girl to me: “Rabbi! is this not a meadow that thou art crossing?” and I answered: “Is this not a beaten path?” and she answered: “Yea; such robbers as thou art have made it a beaten path.” As for the affair with the little boy it happened thus: Once while on the road I noticed a child sitting at a cross-road. I asked him, which road led to the city, and he answered: “This road is the shorter but at the same time the longer, and this one is long but nevertheless short.” I took the shorter road that was at the same time the longer. When I came to the city I saw the entrance to the city at that point was surrounded by gardens and vineyards, so that I had to retrace my steps. Said I to the child at the cross-road: “Didst thou not say that this was the short route?” and he answered: “Did I not also tell thee that it was a long route?” I then kissed him on the forehead and remarked: “Well is thee, Israel, that all thy children are wise, both great and small.”

 

Surely every sagacious and perspicacious man is perfectly capable of appreciating the music of Yes: Close to the Edge AND the taste of the chirimoya AND the wisdom of the Talmud.