It’s Raining Fallacies: Shakespeare and Bob Marley on the Internet

Question: What do Shakespeare and Bob Marley have in common?

Answer: Facebook attributes the same incorrect quote to both. 

I saw this posted on Facebook the other day. 

First, let me say that it’s a nice little poem.  Simple, straightforward, good meter, excellent use of alliteration.  But it does not sound like Shakespeare’s writing.

The Clues

1.      Style

 This one is hard to pinpoint, but Shakespeare’s use of language rings differently.

 2.      Person to Person Dialogue

I don’t pretend to be an expert in Shakespearian literature, but I cannot think of many or any instances where he has a character engage in a one-on-one conversation directed at another in this rather modern style.

3.      The Umbrella

This is the definitive clue. The word “umbrella” did not enter the English language until sometime around 1609-1611. The Oxford English Dictionary cites the first use of the word with John Donne in 1609.  Other reputable sources give dates of 1610 and 1611.

Shakespeare lived from 1564 to 1616 and the only works written in the time frame of the use of “umbrella” in the English language were

• The Winter’s Tale (1610-1611)
• The Tempest (1611-1612)
• Henry VIII (1612-1613)
• Cardenio (1612-1613)

None of which contain even a part of the poem in question let alone an umbrella.

Here, instead, are a few memorable quotes about rain written by Shakespeare:

From "Twelfth Night":

When that I was and a little tiny boy,
With hey, ho, the wind and the rain,
A foolish thing was but a toy,
For the rain it raineth every day.

From the "Merchant of Venice":

The quality of mercy is not strain’d,
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven

Moving on to Bob Marley, I can find no lyrics or documented words where he cites this poem. Regarding the rain, some people believe he may have written “Some people feel the rain, others just get wet”, but then again it could have been Nietzsche for all anyone knows for sure. But... if I'm wrong, please correct me.

So who wrote this pithy little verse?

It may have been authored in 2011 by Oyazzimah Syeikh Ariffin, a Turkish writer.

Here is the English translation:

I Am Afraid.

You said that you love the rain,
But you stretch out your umbrella,
When it rains.

You said that you love the sun,
But you find a shade,
When it shines.

You said that you love the wind,
But you close all the windows,
When it blows.

That is why I am afraid,
that you will say the same.
to me too.

 Is any of this important?

Yes, I believe it is.

Facebook and other social media sites (not to mention the Internet in general), are used by millions of people everywhere, every day, and often there is the assumption that most information found there is accurate. But, on the other hand, many are now profoundly skeptical of any content except that which mirrors their own ingrained beliefs.

A dangerous dichotomy.

So, in my only tiny and miniscule way, a faint voice in the internet wilderness, I can only attempt to point out “misinformation” (a recently coined and annoying euphemism for more precise terms). But I will use logic and “traditional” research methods to bolster my findings.

What else can I do?

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