Another exercise in , and a particularly elegant one. It is elegant because all three of the semantic possibilities of the are perfectly colloquial and perfectly relevant. It does not leave you with a sense of out-of-control possibilities too numerous to mention and too vague and shifting to pin down. It leaves you with a sense of clarity and humor-- clarity about three perfectly strong and fine alternative meanings for the second line, each of which connects to the first line in a natural, unforced, instantly intelligible and amusing way. The lover's clever contrivance, which he reports with pride and triumph, is after all a device for ensuring his own immediate death. (Compare 209,8 .) Yet somehow this verse, to me at least, isn't the smallest bit morbid or grandiose. Instead, his naive pride (though perhaps not too naive, depending on how we read the second line) is irresistible. Don't we find ourselves rooting for him? (Rooting for him to successfully get himself killed?) Or at least, we're glad to see him have his small moments of glee while he can. For another example of his failure, see 24,4 . On the possibilities of , see 15,10 for discussion. Compare Mir's version of this challenge to the beloved: M 946,3 . graphics/sword.jpg