Everything that is made beautiful and fair and lovely is made for the eye of one who sees.-Rumi

Hello Everyone and Welcome to dVerse-

Today is Monday and that means it’s time for dVerse’s own creation- the Quadrille. For those of you new to dVerse, the quadrille is a 44 word poem exactly, excluding the title. The word today is Fair.

The first records of the word fair come from before the 900s. It ultimately comes from the Old English fæger, meaning “beautiful” or “attractive.” The modern English fair can still be used in this sense, but it now has many other senses.
Source: Dictionary.com

And from etymonline.com:

fair (adj.)

Old English fæger “pleasing to the sight (of persons and body features, also of objects, places, etc.); beautiful, handsome, attractive,” of weather, “bright, clear, pleasant; not rainy,” also in late Old English “morally good,” from Proto-Germanic *fagraz (source also of Old Saxon fagar, Old Norse fagr, Swedish fager, Old High German fagar “beautiful,” Gothic fagrs “fit”), perhaps from PIE *pek-(1) “to make pretty” (source also of Lithuanian puošiu “I decorate”).

The meaning in reference to weather preserves the oldest sense “suitable, agreeable” (opposed to foul(adj.)). Of the main modern senses of the word, that of “light of complexion or color of hair and eyes, not dusky or sallow” (of persons) is from c. 1200, faire, contrasted to browne and reflecting tastes in beauty. From early 13c. as “according with propriety; according with justice,” hence “equitable, impartial, just, free from bias” (mid-14c.).

Of wind, “not excessive; favorable for a ship’s passage,” from late 14c. Of handwriting from 1690s. From c. 1300 as “promising good fortune, auspicious.” Also from c. 1300 as “above average, considerable, sizable.” From 1860 as “comparatively good.”

The sporting senses (fair ball, fair catch, etc.) began to appear in 1856. Fair play is from 1590s but not originally in sports (earlier it meant “pleasant amusement,” c. 1300, and foul play was “sinful amusement”).

fair (n.)

“a stated market in a town or city; a regular meeting to buy, sell, or trade,” early 14c., from Anglo-French feyre (late 13c.), from Old French feire, faire “fair, market; feast day,” from Vulgar Latin *feria“holiday, market fair,” from Latin feriae “religious festivals, holidays,” related to festus “solemn, festive, joyous” (see feast (n.)).

Here are a couple of poems containing the word fair from Poets.org:

Yesterday and To-Day

Narciso Tondreau

translated by Agnes Blake Poor

Prone lies at length the statue once so fair;

   Headless and armless, on the weedy lawn;

Yet still some lovely curve shows here and there

   Through clustering ivy like a mantle drawn.

The cracked, stained pedestal of ages tells.

   From every cranny lined with velvet moss, 

The hum of bee, the chirp of cricket swells; 

   And silently the lizard darts across. 

How long ago, by summer breezes fanned,

   Here stood the newborn Venus, fresh and fair;

All palpitating from the master’s hand,

   The last touch of his chisel lingering there. 

“And surely this shall last!” he proudly thought; 

   “Fixed in immortal marble is my fame!”

Just here, where human hand has surely wrought,

   Some crumbling letters may have spelled his name. 

Together 

Carrie Williams Clifford

O, come, Love, let us take a walk,

Down the Way-of-Life together;

Storms may come, but what care we,

If be fair or foul the weather.

When the sky overhead is blue,

Balmy, scented winds will after

Us, adown the valley blow

Haunting echoes of our laughter.

When Life’s storms upon us beat

Crushing us with fury, after

All is done, there’ll ringing come

Mocking echoes of our laughter.

So we’ll walk the Way-of-Life,

You and I, Love, both together,

Storm or sunshine, happy we

If be foul or fair the weather.

And lastly, a fabulous song from The Boss:

If you are new, here’s how to join in:

• *Write a Quadrille poem consisting of 44 words exactly (not including the title) in response to the challenge. The word today is ‘Fair’ and it must be used in some form within your poem
• Enter a link directly to your poem along with your name by clicking Mr Linky below and remember to check the little box to accept the use/privacy policy.
• You will find links to other poets and more will join, so check back later to read their poems.
• Read and comment on other poets’ work–we all come here to have our poems read.
• Please link back to dVerse from your site/blog.
• Have fun!