gl-shader: Error compling vertex shader: ERROR: 0:18: '=' : global variable initializers must be constant expressions

[deathcap]

gl-shader: Error compling vertex shader: ERROR: 0:18: '=' : global variable initializers must be constant expressions
createShader @ bundle.js:19534(anonymous function) @ bundle.js:19097ShaderPlugin.createAOShader @ bundle.js:42043ShaderPlugin.ginit @ bundle.js:41966EventEmitter.emit @ bundle.js:88941initGLNow @ bundle.js:33223EventEmitter.emit @ bundle.js:88916initGameShell @ bundle.js:34207(anonymous function) @ bundle.js:33470(anonymous function) @ bundle.js:34091

with vmv on Chrome 47.0.2526.106 on OS X 10.11.2 (this used to work), relevant glsl:

mat4 translate(float x, float y, float z) {
  return mat4(1.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0, 0.0, x, y, z, 1.0);
}
mat4 shift = translate(-1.0, -1.0, -1.0); // error here
void main() {
…
  gl_Position = projection * view * model * shift * vec4(position, 1.0);

seems apparent to me this global variable is a constant expression, but not to the compiler; should probably move it into main()