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The moving finger writes

What's the meaning of the phrase 'The moving finger writes'?

The phrase ‘The moving finger writes…’ expresses the notion that whatever one does in one’s life is one’s own responsibility and cannot be changed.

What's the origin of the phrase 'The moving finger writes'?

This line originates in English in Edward Fitzgerald’s translation of the poem The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyam, 1859:

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.

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About the Author

Gary Martin is a writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.

Gary Martin

Writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.
The moving finger writes

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