Quatrains

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System

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— Some Accounts of Quedab. By Jlicbael Topping. — Report made to the Chief and Council of Balambangan,

TI.

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"

Not wholly Too keen

A

mind

clear, nor wholly blind.

to rest, too

That travaih

toeak to find,

sore, ajid brings forth tvind."

M. Arnold.



INTRODUCTION.

I.

Ghias uddin Abul Fath Omar bin Ibrahim Al Khay-

yam was

a native of Nishapur, one of the principal cities

of Khorasan.

According to the preface of the Calcutta

MS.^ he died

in 517 a.h., during the reign of Sultan

The date

Sanjar.

of his birth

but he was contemporary with

is

nowhere mentioned,

Nizam

ul

Mulk, the cele-

brated Wazir of the Seljuk kings Alp Arslan and Malik

Shah ; and Nizam

him

of

Mulk

in his Wasdijd, or

"Imam soul !)

ul

has

left

the following notice

Testament*

Muaffik of Nishapur

—

:

(may Allah

rest his

— was one of the most learned men in Khorasan, and

was held

honour and reverence.

in the highest

to over eighty-five years of age,

opinion that

all

and

it

He lived

was the common

youths who read the Koran, and learned

the Traditions under him, would attain to wealth and fortune.

For

this cause

my

father sent me, in charge of

the lawyer -"Abd us Samad, from Tus to Nishapur, in order that I might apply myself to study and discipline

* This passage

is

preserved in Mirkhond's History of the

Assassins, in Khondemir's

Habib us Siyar, and in the Dahistdn. MSS., ix. IIS.

It is given in full in Notices et JExtralts des


INTRODUCTION.

X

me

reg-arded

He

eminent person.

in the class of that

on his part

with affection, and I for mine showed such

attachment and devotion to his service that I continued with him for the space of four years.

There had lately

Hakim Omar Khayyam, and

joined his class

that mis-

creant Hasan ibn Sabah, both of whom were of the same

age

as I was,

intelligence

and equally remarkable

and power of

for excellence of

We

intellect.

became

and when we went out from the Imam's

One day

Hasan

that miscreant

g-eneral opinion

class

we had

repeat to one another the lesson

friends,

we used

just heard

said to us,

'

Imam

that the disciples of

It

to

.... is

the

Muaffik

attain to fortune, and no doubt one of us will do so, even

though there

may

all

What agreement

not.

now between

He

please.''

us

answered,

to fortune shall share

We

it himself.'

it

'

?

^

I

said,

Whichever

*

or

compact

is

Whatever you

of us

may

attain

with the others, and not engross

agreed to these terms, and a compact

was made accordingly.

Khorasan

to

my

and on

Time passed on. I went from Mawara un Nahr and Ghazni and Kabul,

Omar Khayyam came

At

and

to me,

obligations of

my

him with

wards I

said to

engagement.

all

him,

'

A man

your merits

my

to the

On

him I

compact and the his arrival I reafter-

of your ability ought to

be a servant of the Sultan, and

to share

Hakim

honour and distinction, and

agreement, while we were with

bound

that time

in regard to

carried out all the requirements of the

ceived

Wazir

return I was preferred to the post of

to Sultan Alp Arslan (455 a.m.).

since,

according to our

Imam

Muaffik, I

am

position with you, I will recount

Sultan, and will so impress on his


INTRODUCTION. mind your

and attainments^ that you

abilities

preferred to a post of trifst like replied (after compliments),

can do

me

is

me live in may occupy

riches of learning

And

mine/

shall

be

But Ilakim

The greatest favour you

'

to let

your protection, I

xi

retirement, where, under

myself in amassing the

and in praying

your long

for

to this language he steadfastly adhered.

life/

When

I

perceived that he spoke in sincerity, and not out of mere etiquette, I assigned miscals, payable

went back

him a yearly stipend

of

and applied himself

to Nishapur,

1200 gold

He

from the Nishapur treasury.

then

to the study

of the sciences, especially astronomy, in which he after-

wards attained a high degree of accomplishment. Later on, in the reign of Sultan Malikshah (465 to

485

a.h.),

he came to Merv, in the height of his philosophical repute; and the Sultan conferred

many

favours upon

him, and raised him to the highest posts attainable by

men of science. ^^ Nizam ul Mulk history of

goes on to recount the subsequent

Hasan Sabah,

—how by

his aid

Hasan obtained

a post at court, and repaid his kindness by intriguing

against him,

—how

Hasan then

and joined the infamous sins,

of Ismailians, or Assas-

sect

and afterwards became

of Shaikh ul Jahal, or Old

from Khorasan,

fled

their chief,

Man

under the

name

of the Mountain.

This narrative reads so circumstantially that one can hardly do otherwise

Nizam

ul

than accept

it,

but in that case

Mulk's birth must be placed at

years later than 408,*

* See VuUer's Geschichte

the

cler

least

twenty

date given both by Ibn

Seldschuken,

p.

107, note.


INTRODUCTION.

xii

Khallikan and Abul Faraj

Omar's

of

or else the accepted dates

;

518

and

and Hasan's deaths (517

must be abandoned

a.h.)

twenty years

for others at least

earlier.

Omar's appointment

Mulk

ul

was,

as

we

at

Merv mentioned by Nizam from Abul Feda, that of

learn

Whilst holding this

Astronomer Royal. shdhi,

of which

mention

and in collaboration

is

with

of the Julian

civil

The

Khalfa,

somewhat

made

Calendar,

under the auspices of Pope Gregory XIII. afterwards.

Malik-

other astronomers

effected a reform of the old Persian Calendar,

similar to the reform

i

made by Haji seven

Omar

office

compiled some astronomical tables called Zij

five centuries

object of both reforms was to

make the

year coincide more exactly with the cycle of the

seasons, and in both instances this object

was sought

to

be accomplished by an improved system of intercalation.

M.

Reinaud, the editor of Abul Feda's Geography, says

that some authorities even prefer Omar's system to that

The amended reckoning ran from the 10th E-amazan, 471 a.h., and was called adopted by Pope Gregory*

Tarikh

i

Jaldli, after the reigning

monarch. Sultan Ja-

laluddin Malikshah.

Omar was tician.

also

A work

translated

highly distinguished as a mathema-

of his

on Algebra has been edited and

by M. Woepke of Bonn, and another,

the Difiiculties of Euclid's Definitions,"

the Leyden Library.

high reputation

for

"

On

preserved in

is

His work on Algebra enjoyed a several

centuries.

Ibn Khaldun

* See Eeinaud, Geographie d'Abulfeda, Prolegomena,

p. ci.


INTRODUCTION.

Prolegomena, and Haji Khalfa quotes

refers to it in his

M. Woepke

commencement.

the

xiii

power of generalization and

him

praises

for his

rigorously systematic

his

procedure.

In

his preface

M. Woepke

MS.

quotes from a

in the

Bibliotheque Nationale, an abridgment of a notice of

Omar stani life

in Shahrastani's

was born in 479

and during some part of

a.h.,

resided at Nishapur,* he

"

The passage

Omar.

is

it is

evident he was no

as follows

Omar Al Khayyam, Imam

the

One Author

He was wont

of

all

authors.

The

He

of Politics as laid

also

down

in

used to

in

Greek

poems and accommodated them a subject of discussion

and conventicles, but the

consists in axioms of natural religion

universal obligation.

to seek

have caught at the apparent

own Canon, making them

their assemblies

the learn-

men

by purifying the bodily actions

later Sufis

sense of parts of his their

all

to exhort

order to the sanctification of the soul.

recommend the study

:

of Khorasan, and the

greatest scholar of his time, was versed in

ing of the Greeks.

his

a very good authority for

is

the facts recorded by him, though friend to

As Shahra-

Tarikh ul Huliama.

When

the

men

to in

esoteric sense

and principles of of his time anathe-

matized his doctrines, and drew forth his opinions from the concealment in which he had veiled them, he went in fear of his

life,

and placed a check on the

tongue and his pen.

He made

was from accident rather than

sallies

of his

the pilgrimage, but

piety,

still

it

betraying his

* See Haarbriicher's translation of the Kitah at Milal ican Nihal, Preface,

p. xi.


INTRODUCTION.

xiv

unorthodox views.

who )

his arrival at

meet him, Lut he shut the door

to

j

On

who had renounced

one

Baghdad the men

prosecuted the same ancient studies as he flocked in their

faces, as

those studies and cultivated

them no longer. On his return to his native city he made a practice of attending the morning and evening prayers, and of disguising his private opinions, but for all

that they were no secret.

losophy he was

without a

those sciences would I

In astronomy and rival,

and

his

in phi-

eminence in

have passed into a proverb had

he only possessed self-control." Shahrastani's view of Omar's character appears to have

been the one of Islam, as

generally accepted by the literary

Abul Feda, who

lived about

men

200 years

much in the same strain, lamenting much addicted to poetry and pleasure.

his

later, writes

being so

In an essay by the celebrated Grhazzali of

Tiis,

who

was, like Shahrastani, a contemporary of Omar's, there is

a passage in which

to as

Omar

an example of the

is

sceptical habit of

by scientific pursuits.* The following story of Omar the preface to the Calcutta

zami of Samarkand, one " I chanced to

not improbably referred

mind induced

in his old age

MS. on

is

given in

the authority of Ni-

of his disciples

meet Maulana Omar

:

in

a

garden,

and in course of conversation he said, ' My tomb shall be in a certain place where each breath of the north

wind

shall

shower down roses upon

it.'

I marvelled at

* See Sclimolders, ^ssai sur les ecoles philosopJiiques chez Ghazzali was born in 450. p. 115.

Arahes,

les


INTRODUCTION.

xv

Afterwards

that saying, thinking" that he spoke idly.

I

came

Nishapur on many occasions and visited his

to

tomb, and

it

was outside a garden, and the

fruit trees

reached out their branches over the wall of the garden,

and had dropped their blossoms over

his

tomb, so that

it

was hidden beneath them." II.

The great

way

difficulty in the

factory text of Omar's

poems

of arriving at a satis-

arises

from the exceeding

variety and discrepancy of the materials.

We

look in

vain for anything approaching to a " Textus Reeeptus.'^

What may

be called the Lower Bengal family of MSS.,

represented by the Asiatic Society's Office

MSS., and the Calcutta

MS., the two India

edition, do indeed

offi^r

a

tolerably uniform text, but their claim to be the best

representatives of the genuine text

want

is

overthrown by

of agreement with the

Persian and Oude The Persian MSS. do not even agree with one another, the Bodleian MS,, which was written at Shiraz their

MSS.

being

in 865 A.H.,

MS.

altogether different from the

Teheran and afterwards reprinted by The Oude, or Upper India MSS., again, to

lithographed at

M.

Nicolas.

which belong the one lithographed probably also large

number

number

the

at Luckuow, and Cambridge MS., include a very

of quatrains not found elsewhere.

The

of quatrains seems to increase in proportion to

the modernness of the

MS.

Thus the

contains only 158, and the two Paris

MS.

old Bodleian

MSS.

(which are

both of the tenth century) only 175 and 213, while the

modern Cambridge copy contains no

less

than 801.

A


INTRODUCTION.

xvi

lady

who has

tells

me

collated all the

MSS.

of

Omar

m

Europe

she has found in one place and another no less

She has, how-

than 1200 quatrains attributed to him. ever, in

an article in Frazer for

the opinion that the

number

May

1879, expressed

of genuine quatrains

more than 250 or 300, and I am inclined

not

to think this

But when one comes

estimate high enough.

is

to consider

which particular quatrains are to be pronounced genuine, and which imitations,

it is

The

confident decision.

not always easy to form a

state of the case is this

of all the quatrains passing under

any stand

more it

or less numerous, to the other

bears a strong family likeness.

some confidence that variations oÂŁ the

to a family,

members

of

which

One can say with

these replicas, paraj)hrases and

all

same

— Out

Omar's name hardly

Almost every one belongs

alone.

:

ideas can hardly be the

work of

one and the same hand; but to distinguish with certainty the handiwork of the master from that of his imitators is

a task probably beyond the powers of any foreign

critic living

800 years

after the

poems in question were

written.

In this

difficulty, the rule I follow is to

seem the best specimens of each to

exclude the

rest.

In accordance with

exclude, in particular, a large praise of wine,

MSS.

and

this rule, I

number of quatrains

and exhortations

which recur in the

give what

class of quatrains,

to live for the

in

day,

with most wearisome frequency.

I cannot of course feel sure that the quatrains I retain are in all cases the identical ones written

pretend to do

is to

attributed to him.

by Omar

;

all

I

give samples of each class of quatrains


INTRODUCTION.

xvu

Anotlier cognate difficulty is this, that many of the quatrains ascribed to Orniir are also attributed to other poets. I have marked a few of tliese in the notes, and doubtless, careful search would bring many

more to might be supposed that the character of the language employed would be sufficient to differentiate the work of Omar at any rate iig-ht.

It

from that of poets writing two or three centuries after his time, but, as observed by Chodzko, the literary Persian of 800 years ago differs singularly little from that

now

Again,

in

use.

as has been supposed, there were anythinoexceptional in Omar's poetry, it might be possible to identify it by internal evidence; but the fact is that all if,

Persian poetry runs very IS

no exception.

much

in grooves,

The poetry of

from orthodox opinions, which to him, may be traced in the

is

and Omar's

rebellion

and revolt

supposed to be peculiar

works- of his predecessor

Avicenna, as well as in those of Afzul

Kashi, and For these reasons I have not any quatrains on account of their being

others of his successors.

excluded

ascribed to other writers as well as Omar.. So Ion- as I find fair MS. authority for such quatrains, I include them in the text, not because I am sure Omar wrote

them,

but

because it is just as likely they were written by him as by the other claimants. Of course a text formed on these principles cannot be a very satisfactory one, but, on the other hand, it is useless for an editor to pretend

admits

The

to

greater certainty

than

the

case

of.

text has been framed from a c-.mparison of the following authorities :—


INTRODUCTION.

xviii

I.

The Bodleian MS., No. 140 158 quatrains.

lection, containing-

The Calcutta Asiatic

II.

of the Ouseley Col-

Society's

MS., No. 1548,

containing 516 quatrains.

The India

III.

Office

MS., No. 2420,

ff.

212 to 267,

512 quatrains.

containing'

IV. The India Office MS., No. 2486,

ff.

158 to 194,

containing 362 quatrains.

The Calcutta

V.

edition of

1252

containing 438

more, which the

an appendix of 54

quatrains, with

editor says he found in a Baydz, or after the others

a.h.,

common-place book,

had been printed.

VI. The Paris edition of M. Nicolas, containing 464 quatrains.

VII. The

Lucknow lithographed

edition, containing

763 quatrains.

VI II.

A

fragment of an edition begun by the

late

Mr. Blochmann, containing only 62 quatrains. I

have also consulted the Cambridge MS.,

for the

purpose of settling one or two readings, but have not collated

it

throughout.

I have not given the various readings, except in cases

For every reading in the text

of special importance.

there

is

MS.

authority of some kind or other

:

there are

only two cases, or three at the most, in which I have been driven to " the desperate resource of a conjecture,'^ in the notes.

and these are indicated

The

authorities

for each quatrain are also given in the notes.

In editing the the

text, I

prosody, marking

noting

all peculiarities

have paid special attention to

all

poetical

of metre

contractions,

and scansion.

and


INTRODUCTIOX.

xix

have also made a point of marking" the izafat

I

wherever

Lunisden, "

"The

occurs.

it

is

omission

of

says

this/^

undoubtedly a great defect in Persian

writing, insomuch that I

am

not certain wliether

has

it

not been the cause of more obscurity than would result

from the omission of There the

some

is

proper way

all

the prepositions."

diflference of

of

For instance, some

vowels.

precept and practice as to

marking the izafat

after tlie semi-

grammarians, speaking

waw and silent he, the izafat i/a. What they mean to say

loosely, say that after alif, is

expressed by hamza or

by hamza

is,

hamza

i

maksur, ox ya

i

One has only

or ya.

maksur,

— "kasra

bearing-'^

to scan a verse containing-

one of these hamzas or yas to see that they are always followed by kasra expressed izafat,

wherever

to the

word preceding

sists of less

fact

is,

understood.

or

occurs, invariably it,

For the

adds a

and no Persian

syllable con-

when

expressed,

is

quam be

letter

it,

is

sub-

because, as Vullers says, silent he ^'tennior

ut voculem ferre queat."

alf

The

always expressed by

If the preceding" letter be silent he, hamza

hasra.

svllable

than one consonant and one vowel.

the izafat,

stituted for est

it

So

if

the preceding"

or waiv, used as letters of prolongation,

"litteraya enjphonica in fine adjicitur qiim geaitivi sigmim. i

accipiat."

So

far the

And

for this ya,

matter

is

izafat after words ending in

doubt.

be

Lumsden

written

hamza

is

often substituted.

pretty plain, but as regards the

ya

there

is

more room

ior

says the izafat in this ease ought to

with a hasra, Vullers with hasra, hamza

being sometimes superscribed, sometimes not,

Ibrahim with hamza only.

Mirza

Brockhaus, in his Hafiz,


INTRODUCTION.

XX writes hasra after

after

ya used

rui/,

but hamza or hamza

hamza

in this last case

wrong-, because "

is

the ya to a mere vowel/^

prevents

i.e.

it

consonant to support the hasra following. question

this

because

dictum,

it

maksur

in this

allowable to

is

mark

hasra or hamza

%

p.

For

my

part, I

reduces

I venture to

95,

good MS. authority

case.

it

serving as a

controverted by

is

Blochmann's own practice (Prosody, and because there

hamza

i

a letter of prolongation, as in words

as

Blochmann, on the other hand, says the use

like said.

of

used as a consonant, as in such

i/a

words as 'pay and

Example

5),

for the use of

believe that it

is

the izafdt after ya of any kind with

In the

maksiir indifferently.

first case,

the ya itself serves as a consonant supporting the hasra in the second, the yr/,

just as

it is

hamza seems

;

to be substituted for the

substituted for silent he.

Availing

my-

self of this option, I always write hasra for the izdfat

whether the ya be a consonant or a

after ya,

prolongation.

In the

latter case, the

solved in scanning into

and the y following

is

set free to

its

letter of

long vowel

component

letters

^

is

dis-

and

y,

support the kasra of the izdfat

it.

III.

Omar

is

a poet

who can hardly

factorily otherwise than in verse.

enough

be translated satis-

Prose

for narrative or didactic poetry,

does

well

where the main

things to be reproduced are the matter and substance plainly contra-indicated in the case of poetry

but

it

like

Omar^s, where the matter

is

is

little else

than "the

commonplaces of the lyiic ode and the tragic chorus/'


INTRODUCTION.

xsi

and where nearly the whole charm consists in the

style

and the manner, the grace of the expression and the melody of the

A

versification.

literal

prose version of

such poetry must needs be unsatisfactory, because

it

studiously ignores the chief points in which the attrac-

and deliberately

tiveness of the original consists,

nounces

all

re-

attempt to reproduce them.

In deciding on the form to be taken by a new translation of

verse

ought

Omar, the

translation

fact of the existence of a previous

of universally

acknowledged

merit

The

not, of course, to be left out of account.

of

successor

a

translator

Mr.

like

who

Fitzgerald,

ventures to write verse, and especially verse of the metre

which he has handled with such

parisons very

much

own

to his

cannot help

success,

feeling at almost every step that he

is

provoking com-

But

disadvantage.

I do

not think this consideration ought to deter him from

using the vehicle which everything

else indicates as

the

proper one.

As

regards metre, there

is

no doubt that the quatrain

of ten-syllable lines which has been tried by

Hammer,

by Mr. Fitz-

Bicknell, and others, and has been raised

gerald almost to the rank of a recognised English metre, is

the

best

satisfies

of

representative

Conington's canon,

the

Uubd'i.

viz. that there

It

fairly

ought

to be

some degree of metrical conformity between the measure of the original

and the

translation, for

not exactly correspond with the Ruba'i, suggests

it.

In

particular,

the most marked feature

it

copies

though it

what

of the Riohd'i,

it

does

very clearly is

perhaps

— the

inter-

linking of the four lines by the repetition in the fourth


INTRODUCTION.

xxii

line of the

rhyme

of the first

and seeoud.

1)urne^s modification of this metre, in

Mr. Swiu-

which the rhyme

carried on from one quatrain to the next,

poems

cable to

Omar's,

from the context.

sense

in

like

all

is

is

not appli-

of which are isolated

Alexandrines would of

course correspond, more nearly than decasyllabics, with

number

Ruhcu'i lines in

of syllables, and they have been

extensively used by Bodenstedt and other lators

of liuhd'is, but, whatever

German, they

may

German

trans-

be the case in

read very heavily in English,

are apt to

even when constructed by

skilful verse-makers,

and an

workman can hardly hope to manage them with anything like success. The shorter length of the decainferior

syllable

line

is

not altogether a disadvantage to the

Owing

translator.

to the large

lables in English, it is

number

of monosyl-

generally adequate to hold the

contents of a Persian line a syllable or two longer; and a erring, if at all,

line

on the

side of brevity, has at

any

advantage of obliging the translator to eschew

rate the

modern

diffuseness,

and of making him try

to

copy the

" classical parsimony," the archaic terseness and condensation of the original.

The poet Cowper has a remark on Latin which

He

Persian. in

is

translation from

eminently true also of translation from

says,

" That

is

epigrammatic and witty

Latin which would be perfectly insipid in English.

.... If a Latin poem

is

neat, elegant

and musical,

enough, but English readers are not so easily

Much very

of

Omar's matter, when

trite

which he

it is

satisfied."

literally translated,

seems

and commonplace, many of the " conceits," of is

so fond, very frigid,

and even his peculiar


INTRODUCTION. grotesque humour often loses

The

rej)hca.

translator

is'

xxiii

savour in an English

its

often tempted to elevate a

too grovelling sentiment, to

sharpen

''

a

point^^ hei'e

and there, to trick out a commonplace with some bor-

But

this temptation is

one to be resisted as far as possible.

According to the

rowed modern embellishment.

Iladis,

" the business of a messenger

his message/^

the naked truth.

must

is

simply to deliver

and he must not shrink from displaying

A

translator

who

writes

of course claim the liberty of altering the

in verse

form of

the expression over and over again, but the substituted expressions ought to be in keeping with the author's style,

and on the same plane of sentiment as

beyond the province of a translator of " painting the lily."

But

it is

to

It

his.

is

attempt the task

down correct observe them unswerv-

easier to lay

principles of translation than to

ingly in one's practice.

IV. •<

As

regards subject matter, Omar's quatrains

classed under the following six heads I.

Shikdyat

heaven/' or friends, of

II.

i

— Complaints

rozgcir

fate, of

may

be

:

of " the wheel of

the world's injustice, of the loss of

man's limited faculties and destinies.

Kajw

— Satires

on the hypocrisy of the "unco'

guid," the impiety of the pious, the ignorance of the learned,

and the untowardness of

III. Fircikiija

and

WisaXiya

his

own

generation.

— Love-poems

on

the

sorrows of separation and the joys of reunion with the Beloved, earthly or spiritual.


INTEODUCTION.

xxiv

IV. Bdhdrij/a

and

—Poems

in

praise of spring", gardens

flowers.

V. Kufrii/a

and autinomian utterances,

Irreligious

charging the sins of the creature to the account of the Creator, scoffing at the Prophet^s Paradise and Hell,

singing the praises of wine and pleasure

— preaching ad

nauseam, "Eat and drink (especially drink), for to-morrow

ye die."

VI. Munajdt

— Addresses

to the Deity,

now

in the

ordinary language of devotion, bewailing sins and im-

now

ploring pardon,

in mystical phraseology, craving

deliverance from " self," and union with the " Truth"

{Al Hahh), or Deity, as conceived by the Mystics.

The "complaints" may obviously be connected with the

,

known

facts of the poet's

life,

by supposing them

to

have been prompted by the persecution to which he was subjected on account of his opinions.

His remarks on

the Houris and other sacred subjects raised such a

ing against him that at one time his

and the wonder

is

that he escaped at

feel-

life

was in danger,

all

in a city like

I

Nishapur, where the odium theologlcum raged so fiercely

1

as to occasion a sanguinary civil war. A.H., as

we

learn from

In the year 489

Ibn Al Athir,* the orthodox

banded themselves together under the leadership of Abul

Kasim and Muhammad, the Shafeites, in

order to exterminate the Kerramians

or Anthropomorphist

ting ^.

many

of

the chiefs of the Hanefites and

them

their establishments.

heretics,

to

It

and succeeded

death, and

may

* See Defremery, S,echerches sur

be also that

le

in

put-

in destroying all

after

the

regne de Barkidroh, p. 51.


INTRODUCTION.

xxv

Omar

death of his patron Nizam ul Mulk, stipend,

The

probably owed their origin to the same

satires

Rien soulage comnie

cause.

his

lost

and was reduced to povert3^

la rhetorique,

and

if

Omar

could not relieve his feelings by open abuse of his per-

made up

secutors, he

The

verses.

for

by the bitterness of

it

his

on them was no

bitterness of his strictures

doubt fully equalled by the rancour of their attacks

upon him.

The love-poems

much commoner

are samples of a class of compositions

in later poets than in

Most

of

doubt

if

Omar.

them probably bear a mystical meaning,

for I

Omar was sion. He

tulip cheeks

a person very susceptible of the tender pas-

speaks with appreciation of

and ''cypress

forms,^'

but

''

apparently recognises

"

no

attractions of a higher order in his fair friends.

The poems contrast to

in praise of scenery again offer a strong

modern treatment of the same theme.

only aspects of nature noticed by the senses agreeably

— the bright

nightingale, the grassy

Omar

flowers, the

song of the

bank of the stream, and the shady

garden associated in his mind with his convivial

The geographer translated by Sir Nishapur, canal,

there

"The

which is

is

city

is

W.

parties.

Ouseley says of

watered by a subterranean

conveyed to the

fields

and gardens, and

a considerable stream that waters the city

the villages about

it

—

The

are such as affect

this stream

the province of Khorasan there

is

is

and

named Saka. In

all

not any city larger

than Nishapur, nor any blessed with a more pure and temperate

air.''^

No

doubt

it

was some

that called forth Omar's encomiums.

of these gardens


INTRODUCTION.

xxvi

But in the

it is

in the Ktifriya, or antinomian quatrains,

and

most

re-

Mimdjdt, or pious

aspirations, that the

markable and characteristic features of Omar^s poetry

The

are exhibited.

glaring- contrast

classes of his poetry has led his

between these two

readers to take very

opposite views of him, according as they looked at one

European

or the other side of the shield.

his contemporaries, mostly consider

him an

critics, like

infidel

voluptuary "of like mind with Sardanapalus."

and a

On

the

other hand, the Sufis have contrived to affix mystical and

devotional meanings even to his most Epicurean quatrains

;

and

this

method of interpretation

is

nowadays

as

universally accepted in Persia and India as the mystical interpretation of the Canticles

is in

of these views can be accepted in

the Sufi symbolism had been

would forbid us to

Even

if

definitely formulated as

very doubtful,

common

force a devotional

meaning

early as Omar's time, which

sense

Europe. But neither

its entirety.

is

on the palpably Epicurean quatrains

;

and, on the other

hand, unless we are prepared to throw over the authority of all the

MSS., including the most ancient

we must reckon with votional quatrains.

tone

and

temper

the obviously mystical and de-

The of

ones,

essential contradiction in the

these

two

sections

of

Omar's

poetry cannot be glossed over, but imperatively calls for explanation.

His poems were obviously not of his

life,

all

written at one period

but from time to time, just as circumstance

and mood suggested, and under the influence of the thoughts, passions and desires which happened to be

uppermost at the moment.

It

may

be that the

irre-


INTRODUCTIOX.

xxvii

and Epicurean quatrains were written

ligious

and the Munajat in his riper

years.

But

in youth,

this hypothesis

seems to be disproved by Sharastani's account of

which

.,

'

hira^

quite silent as to any such conversion or change

is

of sentiment on his part^

describes himself from

and

grain, a halter between

also

by the ^'

fact that he.

^

Dipsi/chus" in

[

two opinions, and an "Aerates"

)

first to

last as

a

or backslider, in his practice.

If his

poems be considered not

in the abstract, but in

the light of history, taking into account his mental pedi-

gree and his intellectual surroundings^ a more plausible

explanation of his inconsistencies readily presents

In

his youth, as

theologian

we know, he

Imam

itself.

Suuni

sat at the feet of the

Muaffik, and he was then no doubt

thoroughly indoctrinated with the great Semitic conception of the

One God,

Muhammadan Hakiki). sense of

use the expressive term of

or, to

theology, " the

Only Real Agent "

[Fa'il

i

To minds dominated by the overwhelming Almighty Power, everywhere present and work-

ing, there seems no

room

chance, or any other

Nature, or

for

human

Ahriman whatsoever,

responsibility of all the evils in

will, or

to take the

the world, the storms

and the earthquakes, the Borgias and the Catilines. The " Only Real Agent " has to answer for all. In the most ancient document of Semitic religious speculation extant, the

Book

of Job,

we

now

find expostulations of the

boldest character addressed to the Deity for permitting a

righteous

man to be

stricken with unmerited misfortunes,

though the writer ultimately concludes in a pious

agnosticism

and

spirit of

resignation to the inscrutable

dispensations of Providence.

In the Book of

Ecclesiastes_,

/-


INTEODUCTION.

xxviii

same problems are handled, but

again, the I

what

remarks that there sacrifieeth

one event to

is

in a

The " weary king

different temper.

and him that

"

him that

to

all,

sacrificeth not

some-

Ecclesiast

—that

injustice

God has

and wrong seem eternally triumphant, that

made things crooked, and none can make them straight; " and concludes now in favour of a sober " car^e diem philosophy,

now

Of

Lord."

in

course

Hebrew handles

favour of a devout " fear of the the

these

manner

in

which the serious

matters

is

very different from

the levity and flippancy of the volatile Persian, but

can hardly be denied that

the

it

and Omar

Ecclesiast

resemble one another in the double and contradictory nature of their practical conclusions.

No

sooner

was Islam established than

problem of the existence of

evil in the

the

same

handiwork of the

Almighty Author and Governor of all began to trouble the Moslem theologians, and by their elaboration of the doctrine of Predestination they

managed

to

aggravate

One of the chief " roots'' of their diswas how to reconcile the Divine justice and

its difficulties.

cussions

benevolence with the Divine prescience,

—the

predesti-

nation of some vessels to honour, and others to dis-

honour,

—the pre-ordainment

of all things

by a kind of

mechanical necessity {Jahr), leaving no possibility of the occurrence of any events except those which actually do occur.

doctrine

The consideration

moved the

pious

of one corollary of a similar

and gentle Cowper to use

language of indignant dissent gical authority

for the

;

and there

view that

it

is

is

high theolo-

calculated

"to

thrust some into desperation," but to stimulate the piety


IXTRODUCTIOX.

Omar

of others.

and he seems

XXIX

constantly dwelling on this doctrine,

is

to be affected

by

it

in the double

way

here

mentioned.

Other influences which acted on Omar must not be out of account. Born as he was in Khorasan, '' the

^

left

focus of Persian culture/-' he

speculations

of

Alfarabi and

A vicenna

the

sibly have seen.*

orders,

:Moslem ,

And

Sufi, in the sense of

was no doubt familiar with philo sophg;-s.

the last of

whom

he

Alkindi,

may

posthoug-h he was not himself a

being

affiliated to

he can hardly have been

any of the

Sufi

unaffected

by the of which his predecessor in Ruba'i. writino-, Sa'id bin Abul Khair, his patron Nizam ul

my sticis m Abu and

Mulk,

his distinguished

countryman

Imam

Ghazali were His philosophical studies woulda.") naturally stimulate his sceptical and irreligious disall

strong adherents.

(

positions,

mainly

while

his

mystical leanings

would operate ()

in the contrarv direction.

If this explanation of the inconsistencies in his poetrv

be correct, to

be

existence.

To him,

is

it

traced

obvious that the parallel often sought

between him and

Lucretius

Whatever he was, he was not an

as to other

Muhammadans

has

no

Atheist.

of his time, to deny

the existence of the Deity would seem to be tantamount to denying the existence of the world and of himself.

And

the conception of "laws of nature" was also one

quite foreign to his habits of thought. says,

"To

a

Shemite, Nature

* Avicenna died

is

As Deutsch

simply what has been

in 4l*S a.h.

|

1


INTRODUCTION.

XXX

begotten, and

ruled

is

absolutely

by One Absolute

Power/^

Hammer

compares him to Voltaire, but in reality he

He

a Voltaire and something- more.

is

Voltaire's flippancy and irreverence.

has

much

of

His treatment of

the doctrine of the Resurrection of the Body, for instance,

which

Muhammad

took from Christianity, and travestied

by the embellishments he added

And

manner.

Voltaire^s

his

to

importance of kindness and charity oÂŁ Voltaire's

Omar

of

possessed,

also

found

and

on

the

ecclesiastical

those

in

not,

and

But

persecution.

what Voltaire did

expression

all

recalls the better side

which at times overrode

religious emotions,

ism,

altogether in

character, viz. his kindness to Galas,

victims

other

the

it, is

insistence

strong

his rational-

devotional and

mystical quatrains, which offer such a strong contrast to the rest of his poetry.

This introduction

is

already longer than I intended,

but I must not omit to acknowledge

and

translators

my

— Mr.

obligations

Blochmann,

to

former

editors

M.

Nicolas,

Mr. Fitzgerald and Herr Bodenstedt,

of

whom

derived

the

May

I

am

much

assistance

Review,

Calcutta

1879,

indebted for

I

many

from

vol.

articles

xxx.,

and

to all

I have also

hints.

on in

Omar

in

Fraser for

have also to thank Professor Cowell

for

me some of the materials for the text, and Dr. Ethe and M. Fagnan for information about the MSS. of Omar in London, Oxford and Paris. kindly lending


ABBREVIATIONS.

A.

Asiatic Society's

B.

Bodleian Library

Bl,

Blochmann's

C.

Calcutta edition.

I.

India Office MS., No. 21-20.

J.

India Office MS., No. 2 180.

L.

Lucknow

N.

The

Bl.

Prosody.

MS.

MS.

edition.

edition.

edition of

M.

Nicolas.

The Prosody

of the Persians

by Bloeh-

mann, Calcutta 1872. Gladwin.

The Rhetoric

of the Persians

by Gladwin,

of the

language by

Calcutta 1801.

Lumsden.

A

Grammar

Persian

Lumsden, Calcutta 1810. Vullers.

Grammatica

linguae

Vullers, Gissse, 1870.

Persies, scripsit

I.

A.


ERRATA. QUATRAIN. 19,

1.

4.

For

^j

read

^j)}

114, note.

Insert B. L.

170,

For ^J^ii read

1.

1.

,

and

<s^^ii

Insert L.

383,].

For :U read

2.

.'x

;

Read MuHazdsha.

452,

For

1.

3.

dL>\^

read s^]^

"The hand is

.

of

wrong.

and in the note

Tartuffe, Tartufe.

445, note.

,

The note

one like me.^^ 226, note.

insert ^ after ^^^T.

for


QUATRAINS OB

OMAR KHAYYAM.


QUATRAINS OF OMAR KHAYYAM.

At dawn a cry through "Arise

my

That I

Or

e'er

all

the tavern shrilled,

brethren of the revellers' guild,

may

fill

our measures

full of

the measure of our days be

wine,

filled."

Who was it brought thee here at nightfall, who ? Eorth from the harem, in this manner, who

To him who

And

1.

in thy absence burns as

trembles like hot

Bl. C. L.

N. A.

air,

I. J.

who was

it,

?

fire,

who ?

Bl. considers this quatrain

mystical. 2.

Bl. C. L.

N. A.

I. J.

Bl. says the omission of the


r

\J

y)^\

copulative ^ca in line 4 line

s^ CL.^:^

is

^^^J^>

characteristic of

4 I follow Blochmann^s rendering.

" when the wind blows/'

^^J:J3

Khayyam. It

In

may mean,


THE QUATRAINS OF

4

3.

we

but a day

'Tis

And

the gain

all

And

sojourn here below,

we

get

then, leaving

is

life's

grief

and woe,

riddles all unsolved,

i

And burdened

with regrets,

we have

to go.

4.

Kbaja

grant one request, and only one,

!

Wish me God-speed, and

get your preaching

done;

walk aright,

I

Go

!

'tis

you who

see

awry

heal your purblind eyes, leave

me

alone.

5.

Arise

!

and come, and of thy courtesy

my weary heart's perplexity. And fill my goblet, so that I may drink,

Resolve

Or

3.

e'er

they

make

their goblets out of me.

N.

4.

Bl. C. L.

N. A.

I.

5.

Bl. C. L.

N. A.

I. J.

J.

The heart

is

supposed to


OMAR KHAYYAM. r

\J^

^^=3 l^

be the scat of reason.

^^^^3 ^JO^ *^jV Jj

" Or ever " and " or ere " are

both found in Elizabethan English. spearian Granmaar, p. 89.

Abbot,

Shake-


THE QUATRAINS OF

6

6.

When

I

am

dead, with wine

my body

lave.

For obit chant a bacchanalian stave,

And,

if

you need

me

at the

day of doom.

Beneath the tavern threshold seek

my

grave.

7.

Since no one can assure thee of the morrow, Kejoice thy heart to-day, and banish sorrow

With moonbright wine, heaven's

fair

moon,

for

moon

Will look for us in vain on

many

a morrow.

8.

Let lovers

And

all

distraught and frenzied be,

flown with wine, and reprobates, like

When sober, I find But in my cups cry,

everything amiss,

'*

6.

Bl. C. L.

Persian.

Bl.

N. A.

me

I.

Let what will be be."

J.

Faut shudan

is

Turani


OMAR KHAYYAM.

\yo

J^j^^ 3^Vo

^

bV bb

7.

Bl. C. L.

N. A. B.

8.

Bl. L.

N.

Line 3

^jJj ^--y ^y?'

...

J

,

.

J

.

it>^ ojja c:^— ^ j^

I. J. is

Line 2

in metre 13.

is

in metre 14.


THE QUATRAINS OF

8

9.

In Allah's name, say, wherefore

set the

wise

Their hearts upon this house of vanities

?

"Whene'er they think to rest them from their toils,

Death takes them by the hand, and

says,

"Arise."

10.

Men

say the

But on

The

its

That

Koran holds

all

heavenly

lore,

pages seldom care to pore

lucid lines engraven on the howl,

is

the text they dwell on evermore.

11.

Blame not the drunkards, you who wine eschew,

Had

I

hut grace, I would abstain like you,

And mark

me, vaunting zealot, you commit

A hundredfold 9.

10.

Bl. C. L. Bl. L.

worse sins than drunkards do.

N. A.

N. A. B.

I.

I. J.

Lines were engraven on

the bowl to measure out the draughts.

Bl.


OMAR KHAYYAM.

I.

I

^l>y^ U^=>

I

iS^jj

j<ji3

^y ^

Bl. C. L. N. A. I. Tazf/ftwrn, an oath. " mere children '^ compared to your sins.

11.

Ghuldm,


THE QUATRAINS OF

10

12.

What though 'tis fair to I

know not why Hath set these

view, this form of man,

the heavenly Artisan tulip cheeks

To deck the mournful

and cypress ferns

halls of earth's divan.

13.

My My

gives forth

fire

stock-in-trade

And There

you,

is

no smoke-cloud here below,

no

profit here below,

who call me

tavern-haunter,

know

indeed no tavern here below.

14.

Thus spake an "

Why

dost

idol to his worshipper,

thou worship this dead stone,

fair sir ?

'Tis because

He who

gazeth through thine

eyes,

Doth some part 12.

Bl. C. L.

of His charms on

N. A.

I.

Tarab here

''

it

confer."

grieV

The anacoluthon in line 3, Bl. C. L. N. A. I. J. 13. and the missing rhyme before the radlf, or burden, in


OMAR KHAYYAM.

11

ir

Sjt

y^ J ^j

CjS>i\> J)j^

M (J^

(^

Ui

ir

^

Ur^' Ji^

^

^^

(J^^ [f^

:>j^

U

\j^ if^

>&^lc

jj

u**^^^

IP

line

-i

are characteristic of

14.

L.

Meaning-,

Gals/ian

i

Raz, line 800.

all

Khayyam. is

Bl.

of God, even idols.

See


THE QUATRAINS OF

12

15.

Whate'er thou

doest, never grieve thy brother,

Nor kindle fumes

of wrath his peace to smother;

Dost thou desire to taste eternal

Vex

thine

own

bliss,

heart, but never vex another

!

16.

Thou! to please whose love and wrath as well, Allah created heaven and likewise hell

Thou hast thy court

in heaven, and I have

naught,

Why

not admit

me

in thy courts to dwell

?

17.

So many cups of wine Its

bouquet

And

And

will I

shall exhale

consume,

from out

my

tomb,

every one that passes by shall halt,

and stagger with that mighty fume.

reel

15.

L.

16.

Bl.

Line 1

b.

Muhammad.

L.

is in

metre 14.

The person addressed

The

is

the prophet

Sufis were fond of dwelling

on the


OMAR KHAYYAM.

13

Iv

^^

l5;^?

cj:^^ '-r^\j^

*jy^,

^J^^^

opposition between the beautiful {jamdl) and terrible (Jaldl) attributes of Deity.

17.

Bl. C. L.

N. A.

I. J.

Guls/ian i Raz, p. 27.


THE QUATRAINS OP

14

18.

Young wooer,

cliarm

all

hearts with lover's art,

Glad winner, lead thy paragon apart

A hundred

Ka'bas equal not one heart,

Seek not the Ka'ba, rather seek a heart

19.

"What time, my cup in hand,

And

its

draughts I drain.

with rapt heart unconsciousness attain,

Behold what wondrous miracles are wrought, Songs flow as water from

my

burning brain.

20.

To-day

Thou

is

but a breathing space, quaff wine

wilt not see again this

So, as the

life

world becomes the spoil of time,

Offer thyself to be the spoil of

18.

of thine

Bl. C. L.

N. A.

seize the perfect heart."

I. J.

Line

wine

2,

"In

!

the presence

Niydz, " loveiV entreaties."


OMAE KHAYYAM.

v-V

b

J-^

J-;^

15

^JD

^

^

It

y^\j^

19.

L. N.

epithet^ cku ub.

20.

L. N.

J

^-^^-^--«

Snk7ia7ihdi/i

Lumsden,

Bo mvMat,

(t>^

:

(_^> <-^^ jj

Kasra

ii.

p.

i

ians/ii before the

259.

" inhaling and exhaling.'^


THE QUATRAINS OF

16

21. 'Tis

wc who

And

to wine's

yoke our necks

incline,

risk our lives to gain the smiles of wine

The henchman grasps

the flagon hy

;

its

throat

And

squeezes out the lifeblood of the wine.

22.

Here

in this tavern

Pawning

haunt

I

make my

for wine, heart, soul,

Without a hope of

and

lair,

all I

wear,

bliss, or fear of bale,

Rapt above water, earth and

and

fire

air.

23.

Quoth

duck, " 'Twill be a sad

fish to

If this brook leaves its channel dry

To

whom

the duck, "

When

I

afiair,

and bare

am

;"

dead and

roasted

The brook may run with wine

for

aught I

care."

Line 3

21.

L, N.

22.

Bl. C. L.

is

in metre 19.

N. A. B.

I. J.

Note the diphthong

in


OMAR KHAYYAM.

17

ri

"

''

• ^

I-'

I

)\j^

j»j\>.

5lX/o^

.pUi

t--*i

j^

i^

r r

-^ir*

c:;^j

j^

^^^^^J ;^?"J

J^J (^^^

rr

mat dissolved •2o.

in scanning-.

L.

Meaning-,

Bl.,

Prosody 13.

4/^/-e5 ?iO//* Ic deluge.

C


THE QUATRAINS OF

18

24.

From doubt

A

to clear assurance

is

a breath,

breath from infidelity to faith

Oh, precious breath 'Tis all that life

enjoy

I

it

while you may,

can give, and then comes death.

25.

Ah

!

wheel of heaven to tyranny inclined,

'Twas

e'er

your wont to show yourself unkind

And, cruel earth,

if

they should cleave your

breast.

What

store of buried jewels they

would find

!

26.

My

life lasts

Sweeps

but a day or two, and fast

by, like torrent stream or desert blast,

Howbeit, of two days I take no heed,

The day

/,

to come,

U.

Bl. C. L.

2b.

Bl.

e.

N.

and that already

A

I. J.

C. L. N. A.

destiny, fortune.

past.

Sir

Wheel Thomas Browne I.

J.

'^

of heaven/^ talks of the


OMAR KHAYYAM.

19

To

Os*3 ^&:^^ *^^^ (j:j^^^^^

n

"wheel of tbiiigs/' 26. tive.

Bl. C. L.

Bl.

In

line 1 scan

N. A. B.

I. J.

khard hlyaz,

Bo

sih roza is

an adjec-


THE QUATKATNS OF

20

27.

That pearl

from a mine unknown to thee,

is

That ruby bears a stamp thou can'st not

The

tale of love

see,

some other tongue must tell.

All our conjectures are mere phantasy.

28.

Now

with

its

joyful prime

my

enchanting wine, and

I quaff

Cliide not at

wine

age list

is rife,

to

fife

for all its bitter taste,

Its bitterness sorts well

with

human

life

!

29.

O

soul

And

!

whose

daily

lot it is to bleed

with pain.

change of fortune to sustain,

Into this body wherefore didst thou come.

Seeing thou must at last go forth again ?

27.

Bl. L.

perhaps,

ya

real love of

{

N.

Kdni, Yd

tanhir.

God

differs

i

hatni.

Bl, Pros.

See note to No. 373.

7.

Or,

Meaning,

from the popular idea of

it.

Bl.


OMAR KHAYYAM.

21

rv

TA

Owi

28.

(j**^^ L,--^

Bl. C. L.

/j;-^

N. A. B.

the tashdid on jawdni, see 29.

Bl. C. L.

N. A.

^^?\;^^

I. J.

my

I. J.

(«\>.a3Co

ir^-h^

Bl. notes, "

Prosody,

Regarding

p. 11.^'


THE QUATRAINS OF

22

30.

To-day

is

thine to spend, but not to-morrow,

Counting on morrows breedetli naught but sorrow

Oh

squander not this breath that heaven

I

hath lent thee.

Nor make too sure another breath

to

borrow

31. 'Tis

labour lost thus to

Take thy good

Know

fortune,

all

doors to crawl,

and thy bad withal

for a surety each

must play

As from heaven's dice-box

his

fate's dice

game.

chance

to faU.

32.

This jug did once, like me, love's sorrows taste,

And bonds

of beauty's tresses once embraced,

This handle, which you see upon

Has many a time twined round a

30.

Bl. C.

'umrdrd. 31.

N. A. B.

BL, Prosody

Bl. C. L.

N. A.

I.

In Hne

4,

its side,

slender waist

scan

Ki hakip

11. I. J.

NaM,

the dots on dice.


OMAR KHAYYAM.

23

n

rr

^

y'

'61.

astam,

Bl. C. L. is

archaic.

N. A. Bl.,

B.

I.

J.

Prosody

^

Budasi, the perfect in 12.


THE QUATEAINS OF

24

33.

Days changed or

And on

to nights,

ere

you were born,

I,

business ever rolled the sky

its

See you tread gently on this dust, perchance

'Twas once the apple of some beauty's eye.

34.

Pagodas, just as mosques, are homes of prayer, 'Tis

prayer that church-bells chime unto the

air,

Yea, Church and Ka'ba, Rosary and Cross

Are all but divers tongues of world-wide prayer.

35.

X.

^ 'Twas writ

By

whatever was to

at first,

be,

pen, unheeding bliss or misery.

Yea, writ upon the tablet once for

To murmur

or resist

33.

C. L. N. A.

34.

Bl. C. L.

I,

is

J.

N. A.

I.

vanity.

Ni/idre, J.

Meaning, forms of faith are

all.

Yd

i

tankir.

Scan handdgiyast.

indifferent.

BI.


OMAR KHAYYAM. r

o---j^^

25

I

^i6\>

&j^j

jk^joo ^j6lll> &^^

&^^^^

&^

^

To

35.

and

C. L.

N. A. B.

resistless.

Alifi wasl.

Scan

I.

J.

bM

Meaning,

ast,

fate is heartless

dropping silent

Jk

,

and


THE QUATRAINS OF

26

36

There

a mystery I

is

Whicli to

My The

all,

know

full well,

good and bad,

I

cannot

tell

words are dark, but I cannot unfold

secrets of the " station "

where

I dwell.

37.

No base or light-weight

coins pass current here,

Of such a broom has swept our dwelling clear Forth from the tavern comes a

sage,

and

cries,

" Drink

!

for

ye

all

must

sleep

through ages

drear."

38.

With outward seeming we can cheat mankind, But

to God's will

The deepest

To balk

we can but be

wiles

my

resistless fate

36.

Bl. C. L,

37.

Bl

down with

L. N. us.

N. A.

T.

cunning

resigned e'er devised,

no way could

J.

find.

Hale, a state of ecstacy.

Meaning, Mollas'

fables will not

go


0:HAR KHAYYAM.

Oi;5CJ!>^3

38.

L. N.

l>o^

j^

27

Ijc*

Meaning", weakness of

^5^

human

pared to the strength of Divine decrees.

l^

rule com-


THE QUATRAINS OP

28

39. Is a friend faithless ? spurn

Upon trustworthy

as a foe.

foes respect bestow

Hold healing poison

And

him

for

an antidote,

baneful sweets for deadly eisel know.

40.

No

heart

there, but bleeds

is

when

torn from

Thee,

No

sight so clear but craves

And though

Thy

face to see

perchance Thou carest not for

them,

No

soul

is

there, but pines with care for Thee.

41.

Sobriety doth dry

up

all delight,

And drunkenness doth drown my right

There

is

;

a middle state,

it is

my

Not altogether drunk, nor sober 39.

mon

in

40.

sense out-

L. N.

life,

quite.

These gnomical epigrams are not com-

Khayyam. C. L. N.

A

I. J.

JigaVj the liver,

was

consi-


OMAR KHAYYAM.

^^

CI*

Oa^I

p

.

iij

JoC» Uai>

^j^ jj*.

lSJ^ OsiLs

CJj^

^^^^06\j^

O..Mjk>

29

Cjl-oJio (^^/^ j-^

-^-«i» Os**-/«

,

T^

^J?"

dered to be the seat of love. 41.

C.N.I.

golden mean.

Masil

:

scan mas f/i/d.

See Ecclesiastes,

vii.

The Epicurean

16, 17.


THE QUATRAINS OF

30

42.

Behold these cups

Can He who deigned

!

to

make them, In wanton freak

So many shapely

What love

ruin overtake them,

let

drives

feet

Him

break them

and hands and heads, to

make, what wrath to

?

Death's terrors spring from baseless phantasy,

Death

yields the tree of immortality

Since 'Isa breathed

new

Eternal death has washed

life its

into

my

hands of

soul,

me

44.

Like tulips in the Spring your cups

And, with a

tulip- cheeked

With joy your wine, or With some unlocked

lift

up,

companion, sup e'er this

azure wheel

for blast upset

your cup.

Pii/dlae, a cup. So Job, 42. C. N. A. B. I. J. " Thy hands have made me, yet thou dost destroy

me.'^


OMAR KHAYyA:M.

ciw-^

:t>^^ ^jj

^^ u^

31

^^^

Fr

•>

(jl^

43.

ulfanob.

44.

L. N.

^jJi ^.>--:^ ^^ jl

^(J.!>J

G

Meaning-, the Sufi doctrine of ^^/l-a

See Gulshan C. L. N. A.

i

1. J.

Raz, p. 31.

6aV


THE QUATRAINS OF

32

45.

Pacts will not change to humour man's caprice, So vaunt not

human

powers, hut hold your

peace

Here must we

weighed down with grief

stay,

for this,

That we were horn so

late, so

soon decease.

46.

Khayyam why weep you that your !

'

i

[

life is

had

?

What hoots it thus to mourn ? Rather be glad. He that sins not can make no claim to mercy, Mercy was made

for sinners

—he not sad.

47.

All mortal

To

Alas

!

45.

striving

Prosody

is

bounded by the

beyond man's sight

see

Yea

ken

!

bosom

earth's dark

't

were long

C. L.

N. A.

is

too frail;

his only

home;

to tell the doleful tale.

I.

J.

Meaning, the

against predestination. 13.

is all

veil.

Anh,

for

futility diiki.

of Bl.


OMAR KHAYYAM.

CJ;--^

Cil3i

<^*-'" ^

?

p

j*^

j6

\\

^^

i

46.

C. L. N. A. B.

47.

C. L. N. A. B.

ol &>

..:!>

AJL^S) Lf|;^j

^r^^^

u^

&jLw4«,jo

ulr^

*^

cir^j

See note on No. 130.

I. I.

33

J.

D


THE QUATEAINS OF

34

48.

my home, I have surveyed. my wit deep question made,

This faithless world, Yea, and with

all

But found no moon with

face so bright as

thine,

No

cypress in such stateliness arrayed.

49.

In synagogue and Hell's terrors

cloister,

mosque and

school,

and heaven's lures men's bosoms

rule,

But they who master

Sow not

empty

this

Allah's mysteries,

chafiP their

hearts to fool.

50.

You

see the world, but all

And

all

you

say,

Naught the

and

four

all

you see

you hear

is is

naught,

naught,

quarters of the mighty

earth.

The

secrets treasured in

48.

L. N.

49.

C. L. N. A. B.

I. J.

your chamber naught.

Meaning, souls re-absorbed


OMAR KHAYYAM.

35

-Pa

CLk*^\j

in the

CAM,^^

j)^ J^

jJJ Cl)^>

Divine essence have no concern with the material

heaven and 50.

^^^^

hell.

L. N.

Meaning",

all is illusion

(Maj/a).


THE QUATRAINS OF

36

51. I

dreamt a sage

said, "

? Can bloom ?

sleep

In

sleep

Wherefore

make

life

consume

pleasure's roses

Forgather not with death's twin-brother sleep,

Thou wilt have

enough within thy tomb

sleep

!"

52. If the heart

knew

life's

secrets here below,

At death 'twould know God's

secrets too, I

trow But,

if

you know naught

here, while

still

yourself,

To-morrow, stripped of self, what can you know ? 53.

On

that dread day,

when wrath

shall rend the

sky,

And

darkness dim the bright

I'll

"

seize the

Why

hast

stars'

Loved One by His

Thou doomed

galaxy,

skirt,

and

cry,

these guiltless ones

to die?"

51.

C. L. N. A. B.

I.

J.

So Homer, Kasignetos

thanatoio. 52.

ody, p.

C. L. 7.

N. A.

I.

In

line 2 scan lldhi.

Bl. Pros-


OMAR KHAYYAM.

37

f

63.

C.

L.

Note the aUf i hata

latj

N. A. I. J. wash in lines

Koran,

See 1

and

transposing the last vowel.

2.

Ixxxii.

1.

In line 4 scan Bl. Prosody, p.

ii.


THE QUATRAINS OF

38

54.

To knaves Thy

secret

To comprehend

it is

we must not

confide,

to fools denied,

See then to what hard case

Thou doomest

men,

Our hopes from one and

all

perforce

we

hide.

55.

Cupbearer

what though

!

blows here

fate's

betide us.

And

a safe resting-place be here denied us,

So long

as the bright

tween

We

wine-cup stands be-

us,

have the very Truth at hand to guide

us.

56.

Long time But then

in wine

my

and rose

business never

I took delight,

went aright

Since wine could not accomplish I

have abandoned and forsworn

54.

C. L.

N. A, B.

I.

There

is

it

my

desire,

quite.

a variation of this,

beginning- Asrdr ija/idn. 55.

C. L. N. A.

I.

In Hne 3 scan maydst.

Bl.


OMAR KHAYYAM.

OJib Job

(jl^j (jUij*

c*-l£> C,^\j ul4>

Prosody, Ibid,

56.

p.

13,

jj:> j^

39

A^ j^

(iT'^

j^

^•-l^

^

and note tashdid on Hahh dropped.

p. iv.

C. L. N. A.

I. J.


THE QUATRAINS OF

40

57.

my

Bring wine!

heart with dancing spirits

teems,

Wake

!

waking

fortune's

is

as fleeting

dreams

Quicksilver-like our days are swift of foot,

And

youthful

fire

subsides as torrent streams.

58.

Love's devotees, not Moslems here you see.

Not Solomons, but ants Here are but

No

faces

of

low degree

wan and

tattered rags,

store of Cairene cloth, or silk

have we.

59.

My My I

law

it is

in pleasure's paths to stray,

creed to shun the theologic fray

wedded Luck, and

She

said,

offered her a dower.

" I want none, so thy heart be gay."

57.

C. L. N. A.

58.

L. N.

I. J.

In

line 3 scan hedariyi.

For the stoiy of Solomon and the ants.


OMAR KHAYYA^I.

41

CA v::aa*j1

^^=>^ (jlA—/« J

\\

J^:>

(jUxjji

^jJi-i^

c-*.*<ai

-50 Ic

^&>jUb

0^

see

Koran, xxvii. 18.

59.

C. L. N. A.

I.

Kasah, linen made in Egypt. J.


THE QUATRAINS OF

42

60.

From mosque an Allah

!

and to church a

outcast,

me

of what clay didst thou form

foe.

so ?

Like sceptic monk, or ugly courtesan,

No

hopes have I above, no joys below.

61.

Men's

lusts,

like house-dogs,

still

the house

distress

With

clamour, barking for mere wantonness

Foxes are they, and sleep the sleep of hares Crafty as wolves, as tigers

pitiless.

62.

Yon

tbrf, fringing

the margent of the stream,

As down upon a cherub's

Or growth from dust

lip

might seem,

of buried tulip cheeks

;

Tread not that turf with scorn, or light esteem

C. L. N. A.

60.

metrum, %

mard

Bl.,

for ^il i

I.

Prosody

man

J. 9.

Ummed Line 2

rd, Yullers, pp.

is

has th

\

tashdid oh

in metre 17.

173 and 193.

Qil


43

OMAE KHAYYAM.

iZ^j

^a^-h'

^\

j^

Ow-*b v>iU

«3\i- ciiC-^

ca--£>

ir

L^^

'-^j

61. 62.

C. L. N. A. C. L.

I. J.

N. A.

I. J.

^'-^y

^o Lp'r

" Sleep of hares/' Jut/i)/

:

the

i/d

deceit.

of

Jiij/

hamzated because followed by another yd. Vullers,

is

p. 24.


THE QUATRAINS OF

44

63.

Hearts witli the light of love illumined well,

Whether

Have

in

mosque or synagogue they

thei7'

names written

Unvexed hy hopes

dwell,

in the hook of love,

of heaven or fears of hell.

64.

One draught

of wine outweighs the realm of

Tus,

Throne of Kohdd and crown of Kai Kawiis Sweeter are sighs that lovers heave at morn,

Than

all

the groanings zealot hreasts produce.

65.

Tbough Moslems

for

my

sins

condemn and

chide me,

Like heathens to Yea, I'll call

when

my

idol I confide

I perish of a

me

drunken bout,

on wine, whatever doom betide me.

Compare Rafiz, Ode 79: C. L. N. A. I. J. 63. " Wherever love is, there is the light of the Beloved's face."


OMAR KHAYYAM.

Z^t^ ^\ jj^ C^J\

46

J<js=^

{^^ J

IP

Ca.*-4^

u^^^ c^^==^ j V^

C^

-^

^)

U**^^

(J^ Joilj

C^^j J (^^ ilxTjl cu-Ia^ J (j^_j^ o^ _^

64.

C. L. N. A. I.

65.

L. N.

J.

Kaicus

is

d^^" J;

*^j6

aS'jOoj*>3

\i

J>

Js-«y

the old spelling.

See a variation of this below, No. 111.


THE QUATRAINS OF

46

66.

In drinking thus

To

riot,

No Is

it is

not

my

design

or transgress the law divine, to attain unconsciousness of self

!

the sole cause I drink

.

not,

it

Heaven

'tis

will he

to hell, so

men

declare,

but a foolish scare

empty

as this

none who love good drink

If

with wine.

67.

Drunkards are doomed Believe

me drunk

hand of mine. find entrance

there.

68.

^

'Tis

wrong, according to the

To drink

strict

Koran,

in Kajab, likewise in Sha'bdn,

God and the Prophet claim

those months as

theirs

Was Ramazan

then made for thirsty

66.

C. L. N. A.

T. J.

Perhaps

67.

C. L.

N. A.

I. J.

Liue 4

is

man ?

a hit at the Sufis.

in

metre 17.


OMAR KHAYYAM.

47

11

^^^UWMk

IV

c

«ju-^ (jljjo

68.

j\^3

C. L. N. A.

Ramazan

is

the

I. J.

J.i

The

Muhammadan

ui!^

«j:a—Jj5

point, of course,

Lent.

is

that


THE QUATRAINS OF

48

69.

Now Ramazan

is

come, no wine must flow,

Our simple pastimes we must now The wine we

liave

in store

forego,

we must

not

drink,

Nor on our

mistresses one kiss bestow.

70.

"What

is

the world

?

A

caravanserai,

A pied pavilion of night and day A feast whereat a thousand Jamsheds sat, A couch whereon a thousand Bahrams lay. ;

71.

Now

that your roses bloom with flowers of bliss,

To grasp your goblets be not Drink while you may

!

so remiss

Time

is

a treacherous

foe,

You may not

see another day like this.

Does &(ida mean the winter

69.

L. N.

70.

Bl. C. L. N,

A.

I. J.

Wdmdnda,

feast ?

"leavings.'


OMAR KHAYYAM.

49

JoU^ ^3;j>^ *>J^^^

&S"i.ib

ji

V

VI

71.

Bl. C. L.

the branch/

i.e.

N. A.

you are

I. still

J.

Bar

young-.

bar,

'

blooming, on

Bl.

E


THE QUATRAINS OF

50

72.

where Bahram held sway,

Here in

this palace,

The wild

roes drop their young, and tigers stray;

And

Now

that great hunter king

to the hunter death

is

—ah! well a day

fallen a prey.

73.

Down fall the tears from skies enwrapt in gloom, Without this drink, the flowers could never bloom

As now So shall

these flowerets yield delight to me.

my

dust yield flowers,

—God knows

for

whom. 74.

To-day

is

Friday, as the

Moslem

says,

Drink then from bowls served up in quick relays

common

Suppose on

days

you drink one

bowl.

To-day drink two, for 7-2.

N. A.

Bl. C. L.

73. Bl. C. L. N. A.

hul," meaning,

'

I

'tis

I. J.

I. J.

do not

the prince of days.

Baro:

see Bl., Pros. 11.

In line 4 ta

is

know whether/

'

the " ta

i

perhaps.^

tajd-

Bl.


OMAR KHAYYAM.

51

vr

vr

-^J

Oob

^

^\jf^j\

^^b ci

vF J!> Ijj^

74.

Bl. C. L.

N. A.

assembly/'' or Sabbath.

J*

I.

J.

^^^

^'^-^j/*^

Friday

is

the day " of


THE QUATKAINS OF

52

75.

The very wine a myriad forms

And

sustains,

of plants and

to take shapes

creatures

deigns

But deem not that Its

forms

may

essence ever dies,

its

perish, hut its self remains.

76. 'Tis

naught hut smoke

this people's fire doth

hear,

For

my

With I grasp

well-heing not a soul doth care hands, fate makes

men's

skirts,

me lift up

;

in despair,

hut find no succour there.

77.

This hosom friend, on

Seems

to clear

whom you

so rely,

wisdom's eyes an enemy

Choose not your friends

;

from this rude

multitude.

Their converse 75.

Bl. C. L.

bic form is

is

a plague

N. A.

hayawan

is

I.

J.

'tis

best to

On this Bl. notes

required by the meVe.^^

the Arabic plural, used as a singular.

fly.

''

The Ara-

And

8%iwar

Bl. Prosody 5.


OMAR KHAYYAil.

lI^Ioxs

C.^^^\

53

C--^^jo ui^j/0

vv

Wine means the divine "Noumenon." Gulshan i Rdz,

825.

76.

Bl. C. L.

N. A.

I. J.

Scan

77.

Bl. C. L.

N. A.

I. J.

The MSS. transpose the

lines.

tafifa.


THE QUATRAINS OF

54

78. foolish

one

moulded earth

this

!

is

This particoloured vault of heaven

Our

sojourn in this seat of

Is but one breath,

and what

is

naught,

is

naught;

and death

life

that but naught

?

79.

Some

A

wine, a Houri, (Houris

if

there be,)

green bank by a stream, with minstrelsy; Toil not to find a better Paradise,

If other Paradise indeed there be

!

80.

To the wine-house

saw the sage

I

repair.

Bearing a wine-cup, and a mat for prayer I said,

"O

Shaikh, what does this conduct

mean?" Said he, "

Go drink

N.

78.

Bl. L.

79.

Bl. C. L.

Shahl

N. A.

the world

!

1.

i

mujassam, J.

'

is

naught but

the earth/

Bl.

DozaM ifarsuda/ sai old


OMAE KHAYYAM.

55

VA

Ow^^^^^-14^ C-"—*^ LT^^J^ *^^

^

A*

hell/ 80.

i.e.

vain things which create a hell for you.

N.

Bl.


THE QUATRAINS OP

56

81.

The Bulbul

to tlie garden

Viewed

cups, and roses smiling gay,

lily

winged his way,

Cried in ecstatic notes, "

You

live

your

life,

never will re-live this fleeting day."

82.

Thy body

is

The Sultan

When

a tent, where harbourage spirit

takes for one brief age

he departs, comes the tent-pitcher

death. Strikes

it,

and onward moves, another

stage.

83.

Khayyam, who long time

stitched the tents of

learning,

Has

fallen into a furnace,

and

lies

burning,

Death's shears have cut his thread of

life

asunder. Fate's brokers sell

him

off

with scorn and

spurning.

81.

N.

The MSS. have a

ginning, Bulbul p. 12.

dm.

Jam

.

.

.

variation .

rd.

of this,

be-

See Bl. Prosody,


OMAR KHAYYAM.

57

AT

Ar

82.

C. L. N. A.

in line 3, 'stage.''

83.

I.

J.

J/a»zi7, in line

EJumdye, a

C. L. N. A. B.

I.

J.

*tent.^

2/ lodging

;'


THE QUATKAINS OF

68

84.

In the sweet spring a grassy bank I sought,

And

thither wine,

and a

fair

Houri brought

And, though the people called

me

graceless

dog,

Gave not

to Paradise another thought

85.

Sweet

And

rose-ruddy wine in goblets gay,

sweet are lute and harp and roundelay

But 'Tis

is

for the zealot

sweet

when he

who

is

ignores the cup,

twenty leagues away

!

86. Life,

void of wine, and minstrels with their lutes,

And the soft murmurs of Trakian flutes, Were nothing worth 1 scan the world and :

see.

Save pleasure,

84.

life yields

C. L. N. A. B.

Bl. Prosody, p. 10.

I. J.

only bitter

fruits.

Batar, a contraction.

See


OMAR KHAYYAM.

59

Ac

A1

85. 86.

N. The MSS. have a variation L. N.

of this. NoteZ/^iW*.

See an answer to this in No. 97.


THE QUATRAINS OP

60

87.

Make

And

haste

!

soon must you quit this life below,

pass the veil, and Allah's secrets

Make

know

your pleasure while

haste to take

you may,

You wot not whence you come, nor whither

Depart we must

what hoots

!

To walk in vain

it

go.

then to be,

desires continually ?

Nay, but if heaven vouchsafe no place of rest,

What power

to cease our

wanderings have we

?

89.

To chant I live

wine's praises

is

my

daily task,

encompassed by cup, bowl and

Zealot

!

if

flask

reason be thy guide, then

know

That guide of me doth ofttimes guidance

87.

C. L. N. A.

88.

N.

89.

C. L. N. A.

In

I.

In

line 3 scan

line 3 scan Jdj/iffd. I. J.

In

line

ask.

nlddmyaz.

Bl., Prosody, p. 15.

1

scan maddalnyi


OMAR KHAYYAM.

61

AV

AA

d.*.^'X«

^

j-^

*^

r^ cl-*—a« i^uu**\

and compare Horace, " Edocet artes

;

Fecundi calices quern nonfecere diserium."

5


THE QUATRAINS OF

62

90.

men And

of morals

why

!

thus misjudge

Save weakness charms,

What

sins of

do ye defame.

me ?

am

I

not to blame.

the grape, and female

for

mine can any of ye name

?

91.

Who treads in passion's footsteps here A helpless pauper will depart, I trow Eemember who you

are,

below, ;

and whence you

come, Consider what you do, and whither go. 92.

Skies like a zone our weary lives enclose,

And from Hell

is

our tear-stained eyes a Jihun flows a

fire

;

enkindled of our griefs

Heaven but a moment's peace,

stolen

from our

woes.

90.

0. L. N. A.

C. L.

J.

This change of persons

Gladwin, Persian Rhetoric,

called Iltifdt.

91.

I.

N.

A..

I.

Khabarat

:

is

p. 56.

see BL, Prosody, p. v.


OMAR KHAYYAM.

92.

C. L. N. A. B.

of similes

is

I.

J.

called Tlrsi'a.

63

This balanced arrangement

Gladwin,

p. 5.


THE QUATEAINS OF

64

93. I

drown

My

soul

A

—show me Thy clemency dark — make me Thy light to see

in sin is

heaven that must be earned by painful works,

I call a

wage, not a

gift fair

and

free.

94.

Did He who made me fashion me

Or destine me Yet will

I

for

heaven ?

I

for hell,

cannot

not renounce cup, lute and love,

earthly cash for heavenly credit

Nor

tell.

sell.

95.

Erom right and left Saying,

But

By

if

this wine, this foe of

wine he the foe of holy

Allah, right

93.

the

"Renounce

the censors came and stood,

C. L.

hamza

N. A.

in

Prosody 11).

it is

good;"

faith.

to drink its blood

I. J.

Arabic words like razoJ drop

Persian, except with

For this hamza, ya

is

the izafat

:

(Bl,

often used, as here.


OMAR KHAYYAM.

'

y ^^j

^-^^

65

^-5joo

^^

.^

'^^'S c^lW^

91.

C. L. N. A. B.

after silent he.

95.

I.

In

Bl, Prosody,

C. L. N. A. B.

I. J.

v_iia] ^^^

line

^1

:y

4 the izdfai

is

dropped

p. 15.

See Koran,

ii.

187.


THE QUATEAINS OF

66

96.

The good and

evil

with man's nature blent,

The weal and woe that heaven's decrees have sent,

Impute them not

to

motions of the

Skies than thyself ten times

skies,

more impotent.

97.

Against death's arrows what are bucklers worth?

What

all

When

the I

pomps and

riches of the earth

?

survey the world, I see no good

But goodness,

all

beside

is

nothing worth.

98.

Weak Hold

souls,

who from the world cannot refrain,

life-long fellowship

with ruth and pain

Hearts free from worldly cares have store of bliss.

All others seeds of bitter

96.

Allah.

C. L. N. A.

I. J.

woe

Fate

is

contain.

merely the decree of

For the distinction between kaza and kadar, see

Pocock, Specimen Historic Arahuin,

p.

207.


OMAR KHAYYAM.

\

97.

N.

67

Jas> 2^^a:>\s &j;^

^ ^^

J^

&:^ J^j^

Os>j4-

*ioU

J5ji

Possibly written on the margin by some

pious reader as an answer to No. 86. 98.

b

L. N.

Tajrid, see Gulshan

i

Rdz, p.

8, n.


THE QUATEAINS OF

68

99.

He, in whose bosom wisdom's seed

To waste a

single day

is

sown,

was never known

;

Either he strives to work great Allah's will.

Or

else exalts the cup,

and works

his

own.

100.

When

My

Allah mixed

my

clay,

He knew

full

well

future acts, and could each one foretell

;

Without His will no act of mine was wrought then just to punish

Is it

me

in hell

?

101.

common days.

Ye,

who

Do

not on Eriday quit your drinking ways

cease not to drink on

Adopt my

creed,

and count

all

Be worshippers of God, and not 99.

C. L.

N. A. B.

I. J.

;

days the same, of days.

Tarahe, query,

tahhme?

giving a Kne in metre 23. 100.

destination,

A

Of

Moslem theory of preKhayyam might truly say, " Ten thousand

C. L.

N.

I.

the


OMAR

M

KHAYYA3I.

69

*

j<A>^j^^

(J^^ iJ^J v«jL j:> b

1*1 d.A^*,*-> z^**^ ^-^.-H^ "-r*!/**

CU-Jij

AJO^^

jj^ (J^^ ^ ^^

mortals, drowned in endless woe,

For

W€re compelled to do." 101.

L.N.

^lh(^^

In line 3 scan

j^a/(-w^.

doing"

what they


THE QUATKAINS OF

70

102. If grace be grace,

Adam

and Allah gracious

from Paradise

why

banished

Grace to poor sinners shown

is

be,

He ?

grace indeed;

In grace hard earned by works no grace I

see.

103.

Dame

Portune's smiles are full of guile, be-

ware

Her

!

scimitar

is

sharp to smite, take care

If e'er she drop a sweetmeat in thy 'Tis poisonous,

—

mouth,

to swallow it forbear

104.

Wherever you see a rose or tulip bed.

Know that a mighty monarch's And where Be

blood was shed;

the violet rears her purple tuft.

sure a black-moled girl hath laid her head.

102.

N.

The tashdid of rabb

is

dropped.

Bl.,

Pro-

sody, p. iv.

103

C, L. A. B. I.

Hus/i contracted from

/losk.


OMAR KHAYYAM.

71

IT

r

104.

B. L.

beorinning:

The MSS. have

Ear khisU

hi.

a variation

of

this,


THE QUATRAINS OF

72

105.

Wine Cup

is

is

a melting ruby, cup

its

the body, and the soul

is

mine

;

wine;

These crystal goblets smile with ruddy wine

Like

that

tears,

blood of

wounded

hearts

enshrine.

106.

Drink wine

!

'tis life

etern,

and

travail's

meed,

Eruitage of youth, and balm of age's need 'Tis the glad

time of roses, wine and friends

Rejoice thy spirit

—that

is life

indeed.

107.

Drink wine

!

long must you sleep within the

tomb, "Without a friend, or wife to cheer your gloom

Hear what

I say,

and

tell it

not again,

" Never again can withered tulips bloom."

105.

L. B.

106.

L. B.

There being no hafat aher ^drdn, ear

mast must agree with hang dm.

i


OMAR KHAYrMI. *i>

1

OwoW

cu^^

^jijJJi

^ifj^Vj

73

J

^W^

c^.....

?>

^^^^^ J^^ J^j^ 1

'V

CUaSClJ JJb\y^ ^if^j^ ^Ai'^^i^ 107.

C. A. B.

Oedipus Coloneus.

I. J.

This recalls the chorus in the


THE QUATRAINS OF

74

108.

They preach how sweet those Houri

brides

will he,

But

wine

I say

Hold

is

sweeter

and

fast this cash,

And shun

—taste and see let that credit go.

the din of empty drums like me.

109.

Once and again

To teach I

my

soul did

me

implore,

her, if I might, the heavenly lore

bade her learn the Alif well by heart.

Who knows that letter well need learn no more. 110. I

came not hither of

And

go against

Cupbearer

!

my

my own freewill.

wish, a puppet

gird thy loins,

still;

and fetch some

wine;

To purge the

108.

109.

world's despite,

C. L. A. B.

B.

I. J.

Alif kafat,

Probably a quotation.

my

goblet

fill.

^itr/ nuptials/ the

One (God)

is

enough.

Hafiz (Ode 416) uses the same


OMAR KHAYYAM. ^

J

j^jo &xJ> (jU\

C*a4^

;j*>j

v.::*^^^

C<-^.i

I

expression

110.

:

'He who knows

C. L. A. B.

See note to No. 373.

I. J.

75

j^^^

jJL!>

^1

)y J'^ ij^ j*^^

I

the

'azme,

One knows alh' yd i tankir, or tans

if,

?


THE QUATEAINS OF

76

111.

How

long must

Beshrew

I

make

upon

bricks

the sea

?

this yain task of idolatry

Call not

One while

Khayydm

a denizen of hell

in heaven, and one in hell

is

he.

112.

Sweet

is

the breath of Spring to rose's face,

And thy sweet face adds charm to this fair place To-day

And

is

sweet, but yesterday

sad all mention of

its

is

sad,

parted grace.

113.

To-night pour wine, and sing a dulcet

And

I

upon thy

lips will

hang,

air,

fair

Yea, pour some wine as rosy as thy cheeks.

My mind is troubled like thy rufiSed hair. 111.

C. L. A. B. I. J.

Andar-lja, Bl., Prosody 12.

112.

C. L. A. B.

Khush

or hhush.

I. J.

Bl., Prosody, p. 12.

is

Guyi

pronounced lihash

is

generally written


OMAR KHAYYAM.

cu^S

(ji»y> ^5>y

\

I

I

ir

I

&r/ cu^ j^&S'^ij^

I

ir

^ with hamza and for the

113.

hamza B.

j/a,

77

but in some

^^

MSS. /a^Aa is substituted

[?].

Uoziyyi,

-^

See note to No. 28.


THE QUATRAINS OP

78

114.

Pen, tablet, heaven and hell I looked to see

Above the

At

skies,

all eternity

master sage instructed me,

last the

" Pen,

from

heaven and hell are

tablet,

all in thee."

115.

The

fruit of certitude he

The path that

cannot pluck,

leads thereto

who never

struck,

Nor ever shook the bough with strenuous hand; To-day

is lost

;

hope

for to-morrow's luck.

116.

Now spring- tide showers And

lively hearts

Por

And

'Isa's

trees

wend

its

foison on the land,

forth, a

joyous band,

breath wakes the dead earth to

gleam white with

flowers, like

life,

Musa's

hand.

114. "tablet.'''

115.

Allah writes his decrees with the " pen " on the

Koran^ L. B.

Ixviii. 1.

Lit.

See Gnlshan

i

Rdz,

"Consider to-morrow your

1, n.

first

day."


OMAR KHAYYUM.

79

MP

c^j:>

j^

1

IIG.

B.

j\4'i^

&^ ^\

P

Alluding to the life-giving breath of Jesus,

and the white hand of Moses. hkushi dastrase

{ya,

i

(Exodus,

iv. G).

Ba-

tankir), " an aid to joy/' i.e. Spring.


THE QUATRAINS OF

80

117.

Alas for that cold heart, which never glows

With

nor

love,

e'er that

charming madness

knows The

days love

No

with

misspent

redeeming

no

;

days are wasted half as

much

as those

118.

The zephyrs waft thy

My

heart,

and me,

Careless of

And

fragrance,

his master,

me he

and

takes

it

he forsakes

pants and leaps to thee,

thee his pattern and ensample

makes

119.

Drink wine

and then as

!

Mahmud

thou wilt

reign,

And

hear a music passing David's strain

Think not of past

Then

all

thy

life

117.

Bl. L. B.

118.

Bl. C. L.

bin Abul Khair.

on the

first.

:

or future, seize to-day,

will not be lived in vain.

Note wa omitted A.

I. J.

in line 2, Bl.

Also ascribed to

Abu

C. writes bu^i with two ^ds, and

The second yd seems

to be

^a

i

Sa'id

Aamza

batni or


OMA.R KHAYYAM.

I

81

|A

Ca3^j3 Liy

^ ^^ V^

?^ J^

in

tot \

tausifi,

^\

Jijb

though that

is

^^^

usual

Bl., Prosody, p. 11.

119.

Bl. C. L. A. I. J.

^^

AS'^jJa (^j;> \j

only before adjectives.


THE QUATRAINS OP

82

120.

Ten Powers, and nine made He,

And

spheres, eight heavens

planets seven, of six sides, as

we

see,

Five senses, and four elements, three

Two

worlds, but only one,

O

man,

souls,

like thee.

121.

Jewry hath seen a thousand prophets Sinai a thousand

How many

die,

Musas mount the sky

Caesars

Rome's proud forum

crossed

'Neath Kasra's dome

how many monarchs

lie!

122.

Gold breeds not

wit,

but to wit lacking bread

Earth's flowery carpet seems a 'Tis his full

purse that makes the rose to smile,

While empty-handed 120. of

A

summary

"Emanations,"

souls, T)e

L.

?'.

e.

violets

of the

Ak/itaram

(?)

hang the head.

Muhammadan

See Gulskan

vegetive, animal and

Anima.

dungeon bed

i

Rdz,

human,

also in

p.

doctrine

21.

Three

as in Aristotle's

Cambridge MS.


OMAR KHAYYAM.

oJi^

^j^^ cd^ j3 j>- JIp J Jo I

r

I

121.

L. L.

J.

Time

:ij>\

I

^^lSt^jIj^

122.

83

Js>o

&r

vj:,^jkjj\i3

rr

is lonjj

and

life

short.

Alludinf^ to the o-olden stamens of the rose.

I supply tiAi from the Cambtidij^e

MS.


THE QUATRAINS OF

84

123.

Heaven's wheel has made

full

many

a heart to

moan,

And many

a budding rose to earth has thrown

Plume thee not on thy youth and

;

lusty

strength,

Full

many

a

bud

is

blasted ere

'tis

blown.

124 to rule but "

Truth ?" not one.

What

lord

What

beings disobey His rule

is fit

?

not one.

All things that are are such as

And naught

is

He

decrees,

there beside beneath the sun.

125.

That azure coloured vault, and golden tray

Have

turned, and will turn yet for

And just

We

so we, impelled

come here In

for a while,

line 3

123.

L.

1'24.

C. L. A.

for the Deity.

I.

?,cdLn

many a day

by turns of

fate,

then pass away.

jawdni^di/

"The Truth ^Ms

the Sufi

Note tmhdid on llakk dropped.

name


OMAR KHAYYAM. f

c^^;>

Oli-^

C-.--^

125.

Bl. L.

Job

Bl.,

rr

&:ii£^li

^__^

Guzasht, " It

" Golden tray/' the Sim. Prosody, p. 11.

85

In

^^^^

d^\

is all

line

^ j^^^

over with 1

^

us.''

Bl.,

scan Idjdwardlyd.


THE QUATEAINS OF

86

126.

The Master did himself

Why

these vessels frame,

should he cast them out to scorn and

shame

?

he has made them

If

break them

well,

why

should he

?

Yea, though he marred them, they are not to blame. 127.

Kindness to friends and

No kindly

foes 'tis well to show,

heart can prove unkind, I trow

Harshness will alienate a bosom

And

kindness reconcile a deadly

:

friend,

foe.

128.

To

lover true,

Or

if

Or

what matters dark or

the loved one lie

silk,

on down or

fair ?

or sackcloth wear.

dust, or rise to

heaven

?

Yea, though she sink to hell, he'll seek her there.

126.

C. L. A.

I. J.

plural used as a singular.

In line 4 suwar Bl.,

Prosody,

is

p. 5.

an Arabic


OMAR KHAYYAM. ir

87

1

irv

c^^_5^ :iyf ^j^

QiU:>

J']

^^^^

irA

127.

L.

In line % scan neyMydsh.

128.

L.

Probably mystical.

b


THE QUATRAINS OF

88

129.

Full

many

a hill and vale I journeyed o'er

;

Journeyed through the world's wide quarters four,

But never heard

When

of pilgrim

who returned

once they go, they go to come no more.

130.

Wine-houses flourish through

this thirst of

mine,

Loads of remorse weigh down this hack of mine Yet,

if I

sinned not, what would mercy do

Mercy depends upon these

sins of

?

mine.

131.

Thy being is Thy

passion

the being of Another, is

the passion of Another.

Cover thy head, and think, and thou wilt see,

Thy hand

is

but the cover of Another.

129.

C. L. N. (in part) A.

I. J.

130.

C. Bl. L. A.

Bl. quotes similar senti-

I.

J.

ments from Nizami and Hafiz. attribute,

and

Mercy

is

God's highest

sin is required to call it forth.


OMAR KHAYYAM.

2lj

t^y^.j

tluijCj

0<k\

jb

&=^ jj^ij^

89

^Os^JolJ

C-^^^

(t**^ jl

&i^

fJ^^j

in

181.

Bl.

Meaning, God

only real agent.

yd

i batni.

Hasti digdr

is

the FiCil

i

— another being

/lakiki,

hast,

the

with


THE QUATRAINS OF

90

132.

From

learning to the cup your bridle turn

All lore of world to come, save Kausar, spurn

Your turban pawn

for wine, or

To bind your brow, and

all

keep a shred

the remnant burn.

133.

See

!

from the world what profit have I gained ?

What

fruitage of

What

use

Jamshed's

is

crushed

What

my life in hand

retained

?

goblet, once

'tis

?

pleasure's torch,

when once

its

light has

waned ?

134

When life is What

spent, what's

sweet or

Come

drink

bitter, !

full

Balkh or Nishapore

when

many

a

the cup runs o'er

?

?

moon will wax and

wane In times 132.

to

N.

come, when we are here no more. The metre shows we must pronounce

" a portion/' not

tarfe^

wine in Paradise,

" a girdle."

tarafe^

Kausar, the river of


OMAR KHAYYAM. .

91

irr

>S^^Ui j^ J ^JO

CjlJ^S-

JxSl3 J^

irr

"

Vj^

>Jb

"^

O

^jl..i ^^ kIL^

^jj>'

^^*

4t<^

^V"

m^

irp

r^ &>j

j^^ ^

133.

L. N.

134.

C.

v>^^

s-*^

^^

^y^

Tarfbar hastan, "to reap advantage/

L.N. A.

B.

I. J.


THE QUATRAINS OF

92

135.

O

fair

!

whose cheeks checkmate red eglantine,

And draw

the

Chin

You

game with

those fair maids of

;

played one glance against the king of Babil

And

took his pawns, and knights, and rooks,

and queen. 136.

caravan

Life's

is

hastening on

its

way

;

Brood not on troubles of the coming day,

But

And

fill

the wine-cup, ere sweet night be gone,

snatch a pleasant moment, while you may.

137.

He, who the world's foundations erst did

Doth bruise

full

And many Doth

many

a

a ruby lip and

coffin in the earth,

135.

L. B.

136.

C. L.

dark night.

bosom day by

musky

lay.

day,

tress

and shroud with

clay.

For Bdbil L. reads Mail.

N. A. B.

Bl.

I.

J.

The "rinds" loved a


OMAR KHAYYAM.

>^Jo

^^

Oli^

93

y J^O ji

cijj

i

in

3 ,o.5o^ V—M^

its'

i

,

&]lo

,^

.

Ji.jO

irv

2\^ '^:^i^^

cill:^^

^

cj:V^j_5 J-*^

3I4J Ci)l>

137.

J^^j^

C. L. N. A.

^

&iU J

I. J.

c\^5^^ ^^^

S-^

^j<«j

So Job, '^s

jW*^

J^^ j^ it

good unto

thee that thou shouldest oppress, that thou shouldest despise the

work of thine hands

?

"


THE QUATRAINS OF

94

138.

Be not beguiled by world's foolish ones,

insidious wiles

;

ye know her tricks and guiles

Your precious

lifetime cast not to the winds

Haste to seek wine, and court a sweetheart's smiles.

139.

Comrades

Make

this

And,

I pray you, physic

!

wan amber

if I die,

And frame my

me with wine,

face like rubies shine,

use wine to wash coffin

my

corpse,

out of planks of vine

140.

When And

Allah yoked the coursers of the sun,

launched the Pleiades their race to run,

My

lot

was

fixed in fate's high chancery

Then why blame me

for

wrong that

fate has

done? 138.

N.

139.

C. L.

N. A. B.

" attractor of straw."

Lumsden,

ii.

259.

I.

Rui/

KahraU, i

—

"

amber,"

literally

izdfat before the epithet.


95

OMAR KHAYYAM.

U

140.

J<A?^^

C. L. N. A.

I. J.

^

read mai for in.

2^

^j^

Also ascribed to Afzul Kasbi.

Mushtarlyyo, see BL, Prosody,

MSS.

j*y»

See No.

p. 11. 144..

In

line 3

some


THE QUATRAINS OF

96

141.

Ah And

seasoned wine oft

1

clumsiest

And

falls to

workmen own

Turki maids,

fit

rawest

fools,

the finest tools;

to delight

men's hearts,

Lavish their smiles on beardless boys in schools

142.

Whilom, ere youth's conceit had waned, methought

Answers

to all

But now, grown t

My

life is

problems I had wrought

life's

spent,

;

old and wise, too late I see

and

all

my

lore

is

naught.

143.

They, who of prayer-mats make

such great

display,

Are

fools to bear hypocrisy's

Strange

They

!

hard sway;

under cover of this saintly show

live like heathen,

and their

faith betray.

141.

N. So Hafiz, 'If that Turki maid of Shiraz/

142.

N.

143.

C. L. N. A.

[C. A.

and

I.

I.

give another version of

In line

2,

etc.

this.]

note the arrange-


OMAR KHAYYAM. If

I

^>yjjj^ CJ^ ^^

ment There

of the prepositions ha ... is

97

^^

^y^

dar, BL, Prosody 13. a proverb, " The Devil lives iu Mecca and

Medinah."

.


THE QUATRAINS OF

98

To him, who would Let pious "

To

men

call

his sins extenuate,

this verse reiterate,

God's prescience the cause of sin

In wisdom's purview

is

but

folly's prate."

145.

He brought me Prom I

life

live,

and

I felt surprise,

I gather but a dark surmise,

go against

Why

hither,

my

why go,

will

;

—thus, why I come,

are all dark mysteries.

146.

\

When

I recall

Eire burns Yet,

my grievous

sins to

mind,

my breast, and tears my vision blind

when

a slave repents,

is it

not meet

His lord should pardon, and again be kind

144'.

L. N.

145.

C. L. N. A.

146.

L. N.

Sa/d,

In

''

?

of no account."

line 2, az sar

guzarad means

'^

drops


OMAR KHAYYAM.

99

o

LT-

2y

J^^

j^ ^^^=^^

^jj^ ^j:^

3^..:uLc

e;>^^

^^ ^j3

(j^

Jo^

j^

eyes/-*

and in

This change of meaning

line 4, is

(^j^T

^3^

c^^j^^ ^sy

jj^

^j^j^'} J^-y^ from the

^!

^^ r^>

^_^ ^

2s

jc^=6

^^ r^^^^

"remits the penalty.

called Tajnis.


THE QUATRAINS OP

100

147.

They

whose

at

whole world stands

lore the

amazed, thoughts, like Bordk, to heaven are

Whose high

raised,

know Thee in vain, and like heaven's

Strive to

wheel Their heads are turning, and their hrains are dazed. 148.

Allah hath promised wine in Paradise,

Why

then should wine on earth be deemed a vice?

An Arab Eor that

in his cups cut

sole cause

Hamzah's

girths,

was drink declared

a vice.

149.

Now Of

of old joys

all old friends

And that wine

naught but the name but wine new, but

Por save the cup, what 147.

C.

L.

N. A.

Muhammad made 148.

L. N.

his

we

still

is left,

are bereft,

cleave to the cup,

single joy is left ?

Borak,

the

steed

on which

famous nocturnal ascent to heaven.

Nicolas says this refers to an event


OMAR KHAYYAM.

I

•tr^

Fa

ir^ '^^

LT^

101

"^J" J

LS'^^^'^

o

which occured 149.

to

Hamzah, a

L. N. B.

In

relation of

line 2 scan 7nai/i.

Muhammad.


THE QUATRAINS OF

102

150.

The world

will last long after

Has passed away,

yea,

and

Khayyam's fame

his very

name

;

Aforetime we were not, and none did heed.

When we are dead and gone, 'twill be the same. 151.

The sages who have compassed

sea

and land,

Their secret to search out, and understand,

My mind

misgives

me

The scheme on which

if

they ever solve

this universe is planned.

152.

Ah

wealth takes wings, and leaves our hands

!

all bare,

And

death's rough hands delight our hearts to

tear

And from

the nether world let none escape,

To bring us news of the poor pilgrims 150. Bl.,

N.

The contraction bud

Prosody 13.

151.

C. L.

N. A.

I.

for

bud

is

there.

archaic,


OMAR KHAYYAM.

103

1-0

Id

Jo 35-^

tjl^j^^

^^jiwAi^

J JJ\ J

lor

J^ CD^

li^^

^^^^ Js>^ C-*--*^ jj

Lf^j\ ^^J, S^ \^\^\

152.

C. L.

N. A.

preceding

it, is

long.

In

I.

not treated as an ^///"

/

'^

line 3 the

2t'a*/,

J^\J

^j^

Alif in az we

is

hence sam, the syllable


THE QUATRAINS OP

104

153. 'Tis passing strange, those titled

Pind their own

lives a

burden

noblemen

sore,

but

They meet with poorer men, not

when

slaves to

sense,

They

scarcely deign to reckon

them

as

men.

154.

The wheel on

high,

still

busied with despite,

Will ne'er unloose a wretch from his sad plight

But when

it

lights

upon a smitten

heart,

Straightway essays another blow to smite.

155.

Now is the volume of my youth outworn, And all my spring-tide blossoms rent and torn. Ah, bird of youth

!

I

marked not when you

came.

Nor when you

153.

C. L.

fled,

N.A.I.

and

me

left

thus forlorn.

In Hne 4 scan Adamesha.

See

Bl., Prosody, p. xii. Section xxix.

154.

C. L. N. A. I.

—Note

ra separated from

its


OMAR KHAYYAM.

105

o

^b

^b

Joi

ills'

^b

»^

\s^jb

66

vXi»

^J' J^\

noun by intervening155.

C. L. N. A.

^

genitives. I.

solving the diphthong.

In

sS

J>1 Jo

iV>y

Vullers, Section 207.

line

4 scan kaydmad,

dis-


THE QUATHAINS OF

106

156.

These

fools,

Think they

And

by dint of ignorance most in

wisdom

glibly do they

Whoever

is not, like

all

crass,

mankind surpass

damn

;

as infidel,

themselves, an ass.

157.

be the wine-house thronged with

Still

its

glad

choir,

And

Pharisaic skirts burnt

Still

up with

fire

be those tattered frocks, and azure robes

Trod under

feet of revellers in the mire.

158.

Why

toil

ye to ensue illusions vain,

And good Ye And,

or evil of the world attain?

rise like

like

156. shall die

N.

Zamzam,

or the fount of

life,

them, in earth's bosom sink again. So Job,

with you."

"Ye

are the people,

and wisdom

Probably addressed to the 'Ulama.


OMAR KHAYYAM.

J±^^

(jli-^^ ,^_^o^ ^\

107

i^ (ji>lwj^

Cv

I

oUs^ ^^ j

157.

C. L. N. A. J.

DA

^J

^J^j

Hafiz (Ode V.) speaks of the

blue robes of certain Darvishes, as a 158.

C. L.

N. A.

I.

&^^ jT

mark

of hypocrisy.


THE QUATRAINS OF

108

159. Till the

No

Eriend pours his wine to glad

kisses to

They

say,

my *'

face will

my heart,

heaven impart

Repent in time ;" but how repent,

my hard heart?

Ere Allah's grace hath softened

160.

When

I

So that

am I

dead, take

be a caution unto

And knead me Use

me

me and

me

grind

small,

all.

into clay with wine,

to stop the wine-jar's

mouth

and then withal.

161.

What though Doth

the sky with

close us in so that

its

blue canopy

we cannot

see,

In the etern Cupbearer's wine, methinks,

There

float a

159.

mend

his

160.

myriad bubbles

C. L. N. A.

I.

Meaning",

like to

man

ways without Divine grace. C. L. N. A.

I. J.

is

me.

powerless to


OMAR KHAYYAM.

a^l

^\

(OJ5_5

v>j^ j<!>

f^^

v>JjL> ^^=9

J^*-

V^

^^A^

3^_^

161. Bl.,

N.

Prosody,

p. 247.

^W j3

^

&^

^

CiJl>-

109

JOj3

&S^

>^ &^j3

1],

cjj.>.

^_^ ^^^ i^y^

^j>

i^j>-

^^\

i'-i^

d^\>

^L>

JO

c;^^

For the taslulid on sdkh/)/i p.

Ooo^S"

in line 4, see

and Lumsden, Graninoar^

vol.

ii.,


THE QUATRAINS OF

110

162.

Take heart

While

And

Long

!

stars

in the

weary tomb

you'll

lie,

keep countless watches in the sky,

see your ashes

moulded into

bricks,

To build another's house and turrets high.

163.

Glad hearts, who seek not notoriety,

Nor

flaunt in gold and silken bravery,

Haunt not this ruined But wing

earth like gloomy owls,

their way, Simurgh-like, to the sky.

164.

Wine's power

fs

known

to wine-bibbers alone. 'tis

never shown

blame not them who never

felt its force,

To narrow heads and hearts I

For,

till

162.

they

feel

L. N.

line 1 note izafat

it,

how can

C. A. and

dropped

I.

split

it

be known?

this into two.

after silent he.

In


HI

OMAR KHAYYAM.

•^^ ^r^

^J ifj'3y. J'J^ <Xl3 L-J^

JaJ>b

(j\l«-/c

c;V^

&^3^-^

^i^];>-

;^J'^

^^^ Cw^jjb

163.

C. L, N. A.

164.

C. N. A.

I.

I. J.


THE QUATRAINS OF

112

165.

Needs must the tavern-haunter bathe in wine,

Por none can make a tarnished name

Go

me wine, for none can now restore

bring

!

sheen to this soiled

Its pristine

to shine

veil of

mine.

166. 1 wasted life in hope, yet gathered not

In

all

my

life

Now my Till I

of happiness one jot

fear is that life

may not

have taken vengeance on

my

endure, lot

167'

Be very wary

And on

in the soul's domain,

the world's affairs your lips refrain

Be, as

it

were, sans tongue, sans ear, sans eye,

While tongue, and

165.

;

C. L.

ears,

N. A. B.

and eyes you

I.

In

still

line 3 scan

dissolving the letter of prolongation

ya

retain.

masturii/i


OMAE KHAYYAM.

113

1.10

I

n

nv

1G6.

C. L.

line 3, note the

167.

L. N.

In N. A. I. Eozgdrc, "some time." madd of An dropped. Bl. ^ Prosody, p. 1 1


lU

THE QUATKAINS OP

168.

Let him rejoice

A

little

who has

a loaf of bread,

nest wherein to lay his head,

Is slave to

In truth his

man

none, and no lot is

slaves for him,

wondrous well

bested.

169.

What

adds

my

Or how can

service to

sin of

Thy majesty?

mine dishonour Thee ?

pardon, then, and punish not, I j

Thou 'rt slow

to wrath,

know

and prone to clemency.

i

170.

Hands, such as mine, that handle bowls of wine, 'Twere shame to book and pulpit to confine; Zealot! thou'rt dry, and I

am

moist with

drink,

Yea, far too moist to catch that

168.

C. L. N. A.

I.

169.

C. L.

N. A.

I.

170.

L. N.

fire of

thine

Note wa omitted.

I follow Nicolas in taking mani as a


OMAR KHAYYAM. .

115

Ma

possessive pronoun, ''mine," though such a word is not mentioned in any grammar or dictionary. It occurs again in No. 478.


THE QUATRAINS OF

116

171.

Whoso

aspires to gain a rose-cheeked

fair,

Sharp pricks from fortune's thorns must learn to bear.

See

till

!

this

comb was

never dared to touch

It

cleft

my

by cruel

cuts,

lady's hair.

172.

Por ever may

And my

hands on wine be stayed,

heart pant for some fair Houri maid

say, "

They

my

May

Allah aid thee to repent

!

I could not, e'en with Allah's aid

Repent

173.

(

Soon

Of

all

shall I go,

my

Alas

there die with

!

C.

fate deplored,

precious pearls not one

To which these 171.

by time and

fools

L. N. A.

I.

fit

me

is

bored

a thousand truths

audience ne'er accord.

Lyttleton expresses a similar

sentiment. 172.

C. L. N. A. B.

I. J.

Note the conjunctive pro-


OMAR KHAYYAM.

»X1j

^l^ j<>^

\3

s^

117

S.!^

j6U» j^

ivr

^-^ ^^ LT^y^^J^ joy o>yJ &^=> jj^^

^^ (V-^ 3U:i

noun

a?» separated

173.

C. L.

^

from

N. A.

and hekhiradiyyi,

I.

its

noun, Bl., Prosody,

p. xiii.

For the tashdids on maniyiji

see Bl., Prosody, p. 11.


THE QUATRAINS OF

118

174 To-day

The

how sweetly

rains have terre

And "

breathes the temperate

air,

newly laved the parched par-

;

Bulbuls cry in notes of ecstacy,

Thou too,

pallid rose, our

wine must share !"

175.

Ere you succumb to shocks of mortal pain,

The rosy

You Your

grape-juice from your wine- cup drain.

are not gold, that, hidden in the earth.

friends should care to dig

you up again

176.

My

coming brought no

Nor does

my

profit to the sky,

going swell

its

majesty

Coming and going put me Ear never heard 174. Bl.;

L. N. B.

Prosody,

175.

p. 12.

C. L.

their wherefore nor their

why.

Note hhwarcl rhyming with gard.

The waw,

N. A. B.

imperative, /armay.

to a stand,

1. J.

Bl.,

of course, does not count,

Note the old form of the

Prosody,

p. 13.


OMAR KHAYYAM.

:>^ Job ^^

176. for

C. L.

N. A. B.

dmadanam, which

similar lines in his

I.

i6

J.

jij

In

will not scan.

poem on

119

^

line

:ÂťU^9

4 read dmadan

Voltaire has some

the Lisbon earthquake.


THE QUATRAINS OF

120

177.

The heavenly Sage, whose wit exceeds compare, Counteth each vein, and numbereth every hair

Men you may cheat by hypocritic arts, But how cheat Him to whom all hearts are bare ?

178.

Ah And !

wine lends wings to many a weary wight, ladies' faces bright

beauty spots to

All

Eamazan

I

have not drunk a drop, Bairam's blessed night

Thrice welcome then,

179.

All night in deep bewilderment I fret,

With tear-drops big I cannot

How

can

it

fill

my

as pearls

cranium with wine,

hold wine,

N. A.

177.

C. L.

178.

C. L. N. A.

my breast is wet

when

'tis

thus upset

?

I. J. I.

Bairam, the feast on the 1st


OMAR KHAYYAM. ,

I

121

vv

IVA

^^ Jlr^ ^^

*

Shawwal,

after

Ramazan. In

^^'^ s-^-^ cij^

line 2,

khirad seems wrong,

the rhyme would suggest khar o ? 179.

C. L. N.

A.

I.

Note tashdid of durr dropped.


THE QUATRAINS OF

122

180.

To prayer and All

my

Alas

My

when my

fasting

desire I surely !

my

purity

is

lieart inclined,

hoped to find

stained with wine,

prayers are wasted like a breath of wind.

181.

I worship rose-red cheeks with heart and soul,

my

I suffer not I

Or

hand

make each e'er

my

to quit the bowl,

part of

me

his function do,

parts be swallowed in the Whole.

182.

This worldly love of yours

is

counterfeit,

And, like a half-spent blaze, lacks light and heat True love

his,

is

who

for days,

months and

years,

Rests

not,

nor

sleeps,

nor craves

for

drink

or meat.

180.

C. L.

N. A.

line 4, note izafat

181.

I.

In

line 2, scan

dropped after

C. L. N. A.

I.

hulUyam.

In

silent he.

Line 4 alludes to reabsorption


OMAR KHAYYAM.

123

|A.

vX^

J^U

(^y:>'

^^J^^ J^=V

in the Divine essence. A;m^/

ij^j

C^JLT-

J J,U^ ^XjL

^ U^

Note juzioiyam, and tashdid of

dropped.

182.

L. N. B.

Cjlj

Line 3

is

in

metre 17.


THE QUATEAINS OF

124

183.

Why

spend

life

in vainglorious essay

All Being and Not-being to survey ?

Since Death

is

ever pressing at your heels,

'Tis best to drink or

dream your

life

away.

184.

Some hanker

after that vain

phantasy

Of Houris, feigned in Paradise But,

when

the veil

is lifted,

to be

they will find

How far they are from Thee, how far from Thee

185.

In Paradise, they tell us, Houris dwell.

And

fountains run with wine and oxymel:

If these

Surely 183. i.e.

'tis

be lawful in the world to come. right to love

C. L.

N. A.

I. J.

In

them here

as well.

line 2, scan joay?.

Being,

the Deity, the only real existence, and Not-being,


OMAR KHAYYAM.

125

lAr

^

"

^

|A0

the nonentity in which His attributes are reflected.

Gulshan 184.

i

Kdz,

p.

See

14.

C. L. N. A. I.

185.

C. L. N. A.

I. J.


THE QUATRAINS OF

126

186.

A

draught of wine would make a mountain dance,

Base

Wine

A

who

the churl

is

is

looks at wine askance

a soul our bodies to inspire,

truce to this vain talk of temperance!

187.

Oft doth

my

soul her prisoned state bemoan.

Her earth-born comate she would

And

quit, did

Upbear her

foot

fain disown,

not the stirrup of the law

from dashing on the

stone.

188.

The moon Alas, our

of

Ramazan

is risen,

see!

wine must henceforth banished be

Well on Sha'bdn's !

To keep me drunk 186.

C.L.N.

187.

N.

myself, were

A.

last

till

day I'll drink enough

Bairam's jubilee.

I.

Meaning, 'I would make it

away

with

not for " the Almighty's canon 'gainst


OMAR KHAYYAM.

127

Jo.^=9

'^

I

jo\ Ci^JuJ ^j^aJj

Jo Jo

cIIa-IS"

Oo,:^j^

G

JsJkff-

AV

^j:>

1

(^* J:i &S^

&^

AA

(jUa/oj alo &^

{J\y^

|*I^J0

\^ 2^V j^

5:\>

<,I.«...x)

^Hy

^^ J^ CjUa-o,

(^

jJOO

self-slaughter/'

188.

C. L,

N. A.

I.

Note wa omitted

ascribed to Jalal 'Asad Bardi.

ia line 2.

Also


THE QUATRAINS OF

128

189.

From

life

we draw now

now

wine,

dregs to

drink,

Now

flaunt in

and now in

silk,

tatters shrink;

Such changes wisdom holds of

To those who stand on

slight account

death's appalling brink

190.

What

sage the eternal tangle e'er unravelled,

Or one

Erom

And

beyond

short step

his nature travelled?

pupils to the masters turn your eyes,

each mother's son alike

see,

is

gravelled.

191.

Crave not of worldly sweets to take your

Nor wait on turns Be of

They

of fortune, good or

fill,

ill;

light heart, as are the skies above,

roll

a round or two, and then

189.

N.

190.

C. L.

N. A. B.

the genitive following

its

I.

In

noun.

rd put after " impotence is

line 1, note 'IJz

.

.

.

.

lie still.


OMAR KHAYYAM.

^j:> &S"lX^\^

^1413

in the

191.

term

(Jj^

hand of each/^

the limits of his

l^\jo

129

^JtAC'

cL^j^ &r

;^

^l^'O^ (^^XiSO

" Beyond his nature/'

i.e.

beyond

own thought.

C. L. N. A. B.

I.

Tlie skies

have their allotted

like you, yet do not distress themselves.

K


THE QUATRAINS OF

130

192.

What

eye can pierce the veil of God's decrees,

Or read the

riddle of earth's destinies?

Pondered have

But

still

am

I for years threescore

baffled

and

ten,

by these mysteries. 193.

They

say,

when

the last trump shall sound

its knell,

Our Friend

will sternly judge,

Can aught but good from come? Compose your trembling

and doom to

hell.

perfect goodness

hearts,

't

will all

be

well.

194.

Drink wine to root up metaphysic weeds,

And tangle of the Do not forswear

two-and-seventy creeds; that wondrous alchemy,

'Twill turn to gold, and cure a thousand needs. 192.

C. L.

N. A.

I.

So Job, "The thunder of his

power who can understand?" C. L. N. A. I. J. 193. 194.

C. L. N. A. B.

I.

Juzi, {?)juzaz.

Muhammad

said,

"My


OMAR KHAYYAM. \

vXl!> 2>lfel

JJl> ^^3j5

131

^ r

LT^

&A3LJJ

5

;?f^:^

J^^"^ J5

C-*-l5C> ^^^JU

Mr

.^

vMl^s-

J-^^^ C^-Jls- S^ ^ti\Jji^

w

people shall be divided into seventy-three sects,

all

which, save one, shall have their portion in the

fire."

Pocock, Specimen 210.

of


THE QUATRAINS OF

132

195.

Though drink is wrong, take you drink,

And who you

whom

care with

are that drink, and what

you

drink

And

drink at will,

for,

these

points

three

observed,

Who

but the very wise can ever drink

?

196.

To drain a gallon beaker

I design,

Yea, two great beakers, brimmed with richest

wine

;

Old faith and reason thrice will

Then take

I divorce,

to wife the daughter of the vine.

197.

True

Eor

I drink wine, like I

know Allah

Before time was,

And who am 195.

C. L.

every

of sense,

will not take offence

;

He knew that I should drink,

I to thwart

N. A. B.

the subject of wine.

man

I.

A

His prescience

?

hit at the casuistry

on


OMAR KHAYYAM.

133

1^6

^jy^- s^s>

Jiy

196.

Koran, 197.

C. ii.

>1

ISr.

b^ j^ljJic s^

J^^ J

^-c ^?"

A.

I.

A

C. L.

K A. B.

py::^*

triple divorce

230. I.

2l£_jTj

is

^

irrevocable.


THE QUATRAINS OF

134

198.

Rich men, who take

to drink, the world defy

With shameless

and

my

Place in

riot,

as heggars die

ruby pipe some emerald hemp,

'Twill do as well to blind care's serpent eye.

199.

These

fools

have never burnt the midnight

In deep research, nor do they ever

To

step

oil

toil

beyond themselves, but dress them

fine,

And

plot of credit others to despoil.

200.

When

false

dawn

grey

line.

streaks the east with cold

Pour in your cups the pure blood of the vine

The truth, they say, This

is

198.

tastes bitter in the

a token that the " Truth" C. L. N. A.

Scan

I.

af'ai/l.

is

mouth,

wine.

The emerald

is

supposed to have the virtue of blinding serpents. 199.

C. L.

takes this

7/a

N. A.

Shame chand : Vullers

I.

to beyo.

i

fauJdr

;

and Lumsden

says the presence of this letter, between a

(p.

253)

(ii.

269)

noun and

its


OMAR KHAYYAM.

V"

jj* >>^

»

(i*"

135

/'

^jl>^* 9

U

to

^"^j J»5 ^&iU P^.j ^j^j

J.^ ^IS ViXJc^

(^^j^

^^frS'

SJ<>c\

r

attribute, dispenses

C. L. N. A.

before sunrise.

t.jols»"

Shaniii/1, I.

J.

6^\^:J>

o*—S'ji

with the izdfat

the izdfat, and scan 200.

d^-^ij^ J

j^

(?).

But why not add

?

False dawn, the faint light


THE QUATRAINS OF

136

201.

Now is the time earth decks her greenest bowers, And trees, like Musa's hand, grow white with flowers

As

were at

't

breath the plants revive,

'Isa's

While clouds brim

o'er, like

tearful eyes, with

showers. 202.

burden not thyself with drudgery,

Lord of white

and red gold to be

silver

But feast with

friends, ere this

warm

breath

of thine

Be

and earthworms

chilled in death,

feast

on

thee.

203.

The showers of

grape-juice,

which cupbearers

pour,

Quench fires of grief

in

Praise be to Allah,

To heal 201.

sore hearts,

C. L.

20a.

N.

who hath

and

N. A. B.

written without the alif

many a sad heart's core

i

I.

spirits'

sent this

health restore

Musa and

maksur.

balm

Bl.,

'Isa are often

Prosody

3.


OMAR KHAYYAM.

JoOuLfei^

203.

bahhak.

L-^-i->- (^Is:***

C. L. N. A. B.

Didayi garm^

dtishi {Alifi

wad).

137

I. '

lu

line

1

^^-l^Jij

some MSS. read

eyes of anguish/

Scan garm


THE QUATRAINS OF

138

204.

Can

alien Pharisees

Like

us,

Thy

intimates,

Thou say'st, "All Say that

Thy kindness

tell,

who nigh Thee

dwell

?

sinners will I burn with fire."

we know Thee

to strangers,

too well.

205.

comrades dear, when hither ye repair In times to come, communion sweet to share,

While the cupbearer pours your old Magh wine, Call poor

Khayydm

to mind,

and breathe a

prayer.

206.

For me heaven's sphere no music ever made,

Nor yet with, soothing voice

my

If e'er I found brief respite

Back

204.

to woe's thrall I

was

fears allayed

from

my

woes,

at once betrayed.

N.

205. L. N. B. Mdyl.

The second ya

is

the

ya i hatni.


OMAR KHAYYAM.

139

o

O^JiJ<^ ^-a l^Jo \y^)i

206.

C. L. N. A.

I.

ij^


THE QUATRAINS OF

140

207.

Sooner with half a loaf contented be, \

And water from Than Or

lord

it

to another

a broken crock, like me,

over one poor fellow-man,

bow

the vassal knee.

208.

While Moon and Venus in the sky

None

O One

shall see

shall dwell,

aught red grape-juice to excel

foolish publicans,

what can you buy

half so precious as the goods

you

sell ?

209.

They who by The rank

genius,

and by power of brain,

of man's enlighteners attain,

Not even they emerge from this dark But

tell

207.

their dreams,

C. L.

after silent he. self."

N. A.

Kam

I.

and In

fall

Vullers, p. 254.

asleep again.

line 2, note izafat

az khude,

night,

" one

less

dropped

than your-


OMAR KHAYYAM. -v

r

Jiy

Job )^ Lf:^^

r

Jo jJi

141

^^^

jl pS'

A

^b^ J J"^ ^-^

&^=:6\ji

j^

£^ 3^

Jo Jji u-jU'^^

£08.

C. L. N. A. B.

209.

C. L.

N. A.

I.

J^-*^==*

I.

J.

Fismaye,

ya,

i

tanhir.


THE QUATRAINS OP

142

210.

At dawn, when dews bedeck the

And

violets their

tulip's face,

heavy heads abase,

I love to see the roses' folded buds,

With

petals closed against the winds' disgrace.

211.

Like as the skies rain

And

meads with

eglantine,

from out this jug of

violet hue,

sprinkle all the

Right

so,

down sweet jessamine.

I pour in lily cups this rosy wine.

212.

Ah

thou hast snared

!

this head,

though white

as snow,

Which

oft

has vowed the wine-cup to forego

And wrecked

the mansion long resolve did

build.

And

rent the vesture penitence did sew

210.

L. B.

211.

B.

Here read mavi, with one

because the metre requires a word

ijd,

and kasra,

of only two consonants,

and two short vowels, of the wazn ma/d.


OMAR KHAYYAM.

143

ri

:ijo

A^*^

^^

r

212.

B.

Nahicl

is

survival from the time

Prosody 17.

cijj ^^^^

^^

j^

ir

often written nahiz, probably a

when

dais were dotted.

BL,


THE QUATRAINS OF

144

213. I

am

not one

whom

Life's terrors all

This

life,

that

Death doth much dismay,

Death's terrors far outweigh;

Heaven hath

lent

me

for

a

while,

I will pay back,

when

it is

time to pay.

214 The

stars,

who

dwell on heaven's exalted stage,

BafEe the wise diviners of our age

Take heed, hold These augurs

fast the

rope of mother wit.

all distrust their

own

presage.

215.

The people who the heavenly world adorn,

Who come each night, and go away each morn, Now on Heaven's skirt, and now in earth's deep pouch.

While Allah

lives, shall

213.

C. L. A. B.

214.

L. B.

I.

aye anew be born

B. reads nim for

A hit at the

astrologers.

Hm in

line 2.


OMAR KHAYYAM. r

Oo)

\r

^^ ^os-

r

145

j^

^^

(ji

IP

no

JO^y^^ o:^\

215.

Bezaye.

L. B.

jt>:^

^y^^ eJJi

^3^ J ^jj

Earth's pouch,

L. reads didaye.

&fe

i.e.

Both

J

l^iT

^.^

" beneath the earth."

reading's are probablr

wrong-.

L


THE QUATRAINS OF

146

216. Slaves of vain

Who

toil at

wisdom and philosophy,

Being and Nonentity,

Parching your brains

till

they are like dry

grapes,

Be

wise in time, and drink grape-juice, like

me

217. Sense, seeking happiness, bids us pursue

All present joys, and present griefs eschew;

She

says,

we

are not as the

mow

Which, when they

it

meadow

grass,

down, springs up

anew. 218.

Kow Ramazdn And

is past,

Shawwdl comes back.

and song and joy no more we lack

feast

The wine-skin

carriers

throng the streets and

cry,

"Here comes the porter with his precious pack." The vanity

216.

B.

217.

C. L. A. B.

malisur followed

of learning-.

by another

hamzaied (Lumsden,

GoT/id,

I. J.

i.

29

ya, is in ;

from goyidan.

Ya

i

Persian words always

Vullers, p. 24)

;

and

this


OMAR KHAYYAM. r

OOJ^ jXX^ J

147

n

^yBS' ^j.Mi\

&fe

[^\

^^

r

^ji>j3

.v^IjI

a<T JU=hamza mar,

i

mahur

is

(A

^4^i>^

&^=6^ &rj^\

C^ c-^ s^ ^^^

pronounced

^e.

Ibrahim^

Gram-

p. 24.

218.

which

B.

I incline to read j)us/it bast for pus/it pits///,

I do not understand.


THE QUATRAINS OF

148

219.

My

comrades

all

are gone

;

Death, deadly

foe,

Has caught them one by one, and trampled low They shared

life's feast,

and drank

its

wine

with me.

But

lost their heads,

and dropped a while ago.

220.

Those hypocrites,

all

know so

well,

who

lurk

In streets to beg their bread, and will not work,

Claim to be

No

Shiblis

saints, like Shibli

are they,

and Junaid,

though well known in

Karkh! 221.

When

the great Founder moulded

He mixed much

baser metal with

me

my

of old.

gold

Better or fairer I can never be

Than

I first issued

from his heavenly mould.

219.

C. L. A.

I.

Quoted by Badauni,

220.

C. L. A.

I.

L. reads hahahna namacl, but the

line

will

metre

9.

not scan with that reading*.

A

saint called

Ma'ruf

i

ii.

159.

Line 4

is

in

Karkhi, " the famed


OMAR KHAYYAM.

oojJi c>w-^ ul^a

J^ LT^ J^

<^^

J=^'

^Ir* ^^^^

149

S?^

J-^

^^^

rri

one of Karkh,"

is

mentioned in the Nafahdt ul

Karkh was a suburb 221.

C. L. A.

I.

of Bagdad.

Um


THE QUATRAINS OF

150

222.

The joyous

souls

who

And

who

in the

saints

Are lost

ONE

quaff potations deep,

at sea alike,

only wakes,

all

mosques sad vigils keep. and find no shore,

others are asleep.

223.

Notbeing's water served to

And on my

heart grief's

And blown am And

my

last

I like

mix

fire

my

clay,

doth ever prey.

wind about the world,

crumbling earth is swept away.

224.

Small gains to learning on this earth accrue,

They pluck life's fruitage, learning who eschew Take pattern by the

And then

fools

who

learning shun,

perchance shall fortune smile on you.

222.

L. B.

223.

L.

one quatrain

One,

i.e.

the Deity.

This introduction of the four elements in is

called

Mutazddd.

Gladwin, p. 60,


OMAR KHAYYAM.

^1 j^

j3\

&^i^

c*

.^!>

^jo

161

ed.1^^

rrr

"i;^^ U ^^^ 224.

C. L. A.

from bud.

I.

A-iU;

Bu contracted from

&S'^

\3

buwad, as bud


THE QUATRAINS OF

152

225.

When

the fair soul this mansion doth vacate,

Each element assumes

And Is

all

its

primal

the silken furniture of

state, life

then dismantled by the blows of

fate.

226.

These people string their beads

of

learned

lumber,

And

tell of

Allah stories without number

But never So wag the

solve the riddle of the skies,

chin,

and get them back to slumber.

227.

These folk are

asses,

laden with conceit,

And glittering drums, that empty sounds repeat

And humble slaves are they of name and fame. Acquire a name, and,

lo

!

they kiss thy

Abr^sham

feet.

Hdtim

225.

C. L. A.

226.

Possibly a hit at the Mutakallamin, or scholastic

theologians.

I.

tab', like

tab'.


OMAR KHAYYAM.

j^

f-H;^^

163

jV ?^j j^

^y» 3^(J

j^jj

cir^^

^^

j^

rn J0ai-w4 ^3t«

v>ol jj*>^-*il

Si\

C. L. A.

227.

;'

*^v>JO &S' (JTj^

I.

Bd

Lumsden,

ii.

afsos

259.

compare, pur mae in

its' 14.5^

(j3^ (^1

^

ulxo J &U-i^

is

and hence hliardn the noun,

the izdfai. glitter

C^J"*^

&^

b (j)^

^^ u^>. ^'S

v>jl

Tihabar,

.:>^^^=u^

No

^\j>

{^J^

an epithet, qualified

Pur 179.

by

masTCala

like it, '

ha

takes

full

of


THE QUATRAINS OP

154

228.

On

the dread day of final scrutiny

Thou

wilt be rated

Get wisdom and

by thy quality fair qualities to-day,

For, as thou art, requited wilt

thou

be.

229.

Many

And

fine heads, like bowls, the Brazier

thus his

He

set

Which

own

made,

similitude portrayed

one upside down above our heads,

keeps us

all

continually afraid.

230.

My

true condition I

may thus

explain

In two short verses, which the whole contain "

Erom love

to

Thee

I

now lay down my

In hope Thy love will raise 228.

C. L. A.

I.

229.

C. L. A.

I.

Kdnsa

is

me up again."

" One upside down,^'

also spelled kdsa.

life,

i.e.

the sky.


OMAR KHAYYAM.

155

rrA

230.

C.

stands for ya

L. i

A.

I.

tankir.

Scan

icdJcVdy'i.

Here

-^awiza


THE QUATRAINS OF

156

231.

The

heart, like tapers, takes at beauty's eyes

A flame, And

and

lives

beauty

is

by that whereby

dies

it

a flame where hearts, like

moths, Offer themselves a burning sacrifice.

232.

To please the righteous

life itself

And, though they tread

me

Men

say, "

I

sell.

down, never rebel;

Inform us what and where

is

hell?" Ill

company

will

make

this earth a hell.

233.

The sun doth smite the And, Khosrau Arise,

like, his

and drink

!

roofs with Orient ray.

wine-red sheen display

the herald of the

Uplifts his voice, and cries, "

231.

L.

the metre

drink to-day !"

Metre Ramal, No. 50.

syllable is short. is like

See Bl., Prosody,

dawn

p.

In

line 3 the first

43.

In this form

Horace's " Miserarum est"

etc.


OMAR KHAYYAM.

167

rri

f-pf.

l)

^j^ u:w^ (j^^

^ 0*1^

rrr

^

»<

232.

C. L. A.

I.

233.

C. L. A.

I. J.

O f

fi

O f

"^

Also ascribed to Hafiz.


THE QUATRAINS OP

158

234.

Comrades

!

when

e'er

ye meet together here,

Eecall your friend to mind, and drop a tear

And when

the

wine-cups

circling

reach

his seat,

Pray turn one upside down

his dust to cheer.

235.

That

grace and favour

meant

at

the

first,

what

it ?

That lavishing of joy and peace, what meant

But now thy purpose

What

is

to grieve

did I do to cause this

meant

my

it?

heart

;

change? what

it ?

236.

These hypocrites, who build on saintly show, Treating the body as the

spirit's foe,

If they will shut their

mouths with

lime,

like jars,

My jar

of grape-juice I will then forego.

234.

B.

235.

B.

A variation

of No. 205. So Job, " He multiplieth

without cause."

my wounds


OMAR KHAYYAM.

159

rro

L. B.

2S6. sense. (line 4)

B. reads arra, of which I can

Bar fark niham, '1 '

on their mouths.*

will

make no

put aside/ bar

fark


THE QUATRAINS OF

160

237.

come, and run their eager race,

Many have

Striving for pleasures, luxuries, or place,

And

quaffed their wine, and

now

all silent

lie,

Enfolded in their parent earth's embrace.

238.

Then, when the good reap

fruits of labours

past,

My hapless If good,

lot

may

with drunkards will be cast I be

If bad, find grace

numbered with the

and mercy with the

first,

last.

239.

Of happy turns of fortune take your

fill,

Seek pleasure's couch, or wine-cup, as you will; Allah regards not

if

you

So take your pleasure, be 237.

sin,

it

or saint

good or

it,

ill.

C. L. A. I.

238.

C. L. A.

239.

C.

L.

T.

N.

A

I.

J.

Alluding to the Eadis,


OMAR KHAYYAM.

161

rrA

jsV^ jci^

y^^^

c:)ll^\

j^ \^

(jlij Jo i^

S\ e)x)_^

^b

J*^

jj

J^O ^>^ j^Jj J'i^J a^^ U:^ V^ ^^^ ji <

" These are in heaven, and Allah regards not their

and these in See Gnhhan

hell, i

sius,

and Allah regards not their good works/'

Rat,

p. 55.

H


THE QUATRAINS OP

162

240.

Heaven

And

multiplies our sorrows day

grants no joys

does not take

it

unborn could know the

If those

by day,

away

ills

we

bear,

What think you, would they rather come or stay ?

241.

"Why ponder thus the future

And jade Cast

to foresee,

thy brain to vain perplexity

off

?

thy care, leave Allah's plans to him,

He formed them

all

without consulting thee.

242.

The tenants Nescient of

of the tombs to dust decay,

self,

and

all

beside are they

Their sundered atoms float about the world.

Like mirage clouds, until the judgment-day.

UO. for

C. L. N. A.

I. J.

Music/'

21].

C. L. N. A.

I.

J.

This recalls Byron's, " Stanzas


OMAR KHAYYAM.

163

r^

rF

j^

JJ\ JjI

^^J^

^

^ j:>^J^

n^r

J 242. skardb,

\^^

J3J

C. L.

\S

N. A.

s^ r

j^cI. J.

In

line

and change the order of the

4 some lines.

i\ c:/^^

MSS.

read


THE QUATRAINS OF

164

243. soul

!

lay

up

all

earthly goods in store,

Thy mead with pleasure's flowerets spangle o'er;

And know

'tis

as dew, that decks the

all

flowers

Eor one short night, and then

is

seen no

more

2M. Heed not the Sunna, nor the law If to the poor his portion

And

you

divine

assign,

never injure one, nor yet abuse,

1 guarantee

you heaven, and now some wine

!

245.

Vexed by

this

wheel of things, that pets the

base.

My

sorrow-laden

life

drags on apace

Like rosebud, from the storm I wrap

And

blood-spots on

243.

my

C. L. N. A. I. J.

me close,

heart, like tulip, trace. There are several variations

of this.

244.

'"There

C. L. N. A. B. is

I.

J.

See

Koran,

ii.

172

:

no piety in turning your faces to the east or


OMAR KHAYYAM.

j^ s3^J\

C^

^r-^

U^?"

J^

bj*^ <^}^ ^^

^ ^j^

r-/^

>,:>

uir^

J p^

Cii^^ J^ ^ ul4=- ^^4

west, but he

is

pious

who

165

N.

J^

b

&^ ^jf^

believeth in

disburseth his wealth to the needy/' etc. 245.

^^b

God .... and


THE QUATRAINS OP

166

246.

Youth

the time to pay court to the vine,

is

To quaff the cup, with

A flood

revellers to recline

of water once laid waste the earth.

Hence learn

to lay

you waste with floods of wine.

247.

The world

is

baffled in its search for Thee,

Wealth cannot

find Thee, no, nor poverty

Thou'rt very near us, but our ears are deaf,

Our eyes

are blinded that

we may

not see

!

248.

Take care you never hold a drinking bout

With an He'll

And

ill-tempered, ill-conditioned lout

make

a vile disturbance

vile apologies

246.

C. N. A.

247.

N.

I.

all

night long.

next day, no doubt.

J.

So Hafiz, Ode 355 (Brockhaus)

:

" How can our eyes behold Thee, as Thou

art

?

"


OMAR KHAYYAM.

jl3.

4

^JjL»u.>

^b

248.

and

>J\

C. L. N. A.

in line

J cij^ v>^

^ I. J.

4 Khwdhii/dsh.

i6

In

i:>^

167

^<siL^

Ij

jy^ jl4^3

line 3 scan badmasihjd,


THE QUATEAINS OF

168

249.

The

starry aspects are not all benign

Why toil To Only

then after vain

;

and pine

desires,

lade thyself with load of fortune's boons, to drop

it

with this

life

of thine

?

250.

O

comrades

Pledge

all

here

!

is filtered

wine,

come drink

your charming sweethearts, as you

drink 'Tis the grape's blood,

and

this is

what

it

says,

"

To you

I dedicate

my

life-blood

I

drink

!

251.

Are you depressed ? then take oibang one grain.

Of rosy grape-juice take one pint or twain Sufis,

you

Then go and 249.

C. L.

250.

C. L.

251.

N.

say,

must not take

eat the pebbles

N. A.

I. J.

N. A.

I. J.

In

lines 1

off"

;

this or that,

the plain

and 2 scan ^aJcJawaJci and md-


OMAR

j^^ ^j J^ ^V

"^

^

j^ ^ &y-

na/('i, aA;

^i^^

y

(i^^-'"^^

y

J^ j^> ^>

being the diminutive, and ya the ya

displacing the izafat: narcotic,

^5-^^

y

r^

168

KHAYYAjVr.

made

of hemp.

Lumsden,

ii.

269

(?).

i

tanMr,

Bang^ a


THE QUATRAINS OF

170

252. I

saw a busy potter by the way

Kneading with might and main a lump of clay And, I

lo

!

the clay cried, "Use

;

me gently, pray,

was a man myself but yesterday I"

253.

Oh

wine

!

is

richer than the realm of Jam,

More fragrant than the food

of

Miriam

Sweeter are sighs that drunkards heave at

morn Than

strains of

Bu

Sa'id

and Bin Adham.

254. (

Deep There

in the rondure of the heavenly blue, is

a cup, concealed from mortals' view,

Which all must drink in turn; But drink

when

it

boldly,

252.

C. L.

N. A. B.

253.

C. L. N. A. I. J.

Ibrahim Bin

Adham

I. J.

it

sigh not then,

comes

to

you

Hal, ecstacy.

Abu

Sa'id

Abu^ Khair and

are both mentioned in the

Nafahdt


OMAR KHAYYAM.

171

For

ror

ul-Uns. 'Miriam's food/

See Koran, xix. 24.

izdfat dropped after silent he.

254.

C. L. A.

I. J.

Juwr,

'

a bumper.'

Note


THE QUATRAINS OF

172

255.

Though you should

live to four, or forty score,

Go hence you must,

as all have gone before

Then, be you king, or beggar of the They'll rate you all the same, no less,

streets,

no more.

256. If

you seek Him, abandon child and wife,

Arise,

and sever

all

these ties to

life

All these are bonds to check you on your course. Arise,

and cut these bonds, as with a

knife.

257.

O

heart

Why

!

this

should

world

its

is

empty

but a fleeting show, griefs distress

Bow down, and bear thy Will not unwrite

255.

L.

256.

L. B.

fate,

i

Rdz,

1.

?

the eternal pen

its roll for thee,

So Gulslian

thee so

I trow

944.


OMAR KHAYYAM.

^V^

o Joy

V^

^ c^

^\^>T ^;^

^jjj>

cjjy

Juo

(jrjj ^^

173

^u4^

^3

^:iy

^J

&^,^^

0^

b

rov

3l>^

£j

257.

L. N. B.

Lri)^

writes his decrees.

f^y ^-^>

The pen ' '

is

^

cir^^

that with which Allah


THE QUATRAINS OP

174

258.

Who To

went

e'er returned of all that

tell of

hefore,

that long road they travel o'er

Leave naught undone of what you have

Por when you

go,

you

will return

?

to do,

no more.

259.

Dark wheel Like

!

how many

Mahmud

lovers thou hast slain,

and Aydz,

inhumane

Come, let us drink, thou gran test not two lives,

When

one

is

we

spent,

find

it

not again.

260. Illustrious Prophet

!

whom

all

kings ohey,

When is our darkness lightened by wine's ray ? On Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, both night and day

258.

C. N. L. A.

259.

L. N.

and Ayaz

I. J.

Amadaye, ya

tanMr.

i

Malimud, the celebrated king of Ghazni,

his favourite.

Scan wdydz

{alif i

wad).


OMAR KHAYYAM.

J^

C5JJJ^

j^J

5

^y

175

LT^J^

J^J

^*^^ ^'^^

^.r^ j1>^

»^

260.

C. L. N. A.

I. J.

dropped in scanning. See

Bl.,

The Jim Prosody,

in

panjshamha

p. 10.

is

In line 4

note silent he in shauha scaned long as well as short.


THE QUATRAINS OF

176

261.

O

turn away those roguisli eyes of thine

Be

still

!

Thou

seek not

my

say'st, "

Look

peace to undermine not."

I

might

as well

essay

To

slant

my

goblet,

and not

spill

my

wine.

262.

In taverns better far commune with Thee,

Than pray first

'Tis

in mosques,

and

and

last of all

fail

Thy

face to see

Thy creatures Thou

Thine to burn, and Thine to cherish

me

263.

To

wise and worthy

men

your

life

devote,

But from the worthless keep your walk remote Dare

to take poison

But from a

fool refuse

Line

an antidote.

a proverb denoting an impossibility.

261.

N.

262.

C. L. N. A. B.

4,

from a sage's hand,

I.

J.

This

is

clearly

an address


OMAR KHAYYAM. r 1

o

o

nr

nr

to the Deity.

263.

L. N.

Line 2

is

in

metre 17.


THE QUATRAINS OP

178

264. I fiew here, as a bird

Up

to a higher nest

from the

my

wild, in

aim

course to frame

who knows the way,

But, finding here no guide

same door where through

Fly out by the

I

came. 265.

He binds us in resistless Nature's chain, And yet bids us our natures to restrain Between these counter

rules

we stand

per-

plexed, "

Hold the

jar slant, but all the wine retain."

266.

They go away, and none

To teach

is

seen returning,

that other world's recondite learning

be

not

'Twill

shown

for

dull

mechanic

prayers,

For prayer

is

naught without true heartfelt

yearning.

264.

265.

Brooke

C. L. N. A. L. in

N.

In

I.

J.

line

3

scan

ndliydsh.

"Mustapha"; Ward's English

So Lord

Poets,

i.

370.


OMAR KHAYYAM.

r

2GH.

C. L. N. A.

I.

179

ri

The formal prayers

of

Moslems

are rather ascriptions of praise, and repetitions of texts,

than petitions.


THE QUATRAINS OF

180

267.

Go

to

Thy

!

Cast dust on those deaf skies,

orisons

To

and bootless prayers, and learn and hover round the

quaff the cup,

Of all who

who spurn

fair

go, did ever one return?

268.

Though Khayyam strings no

pearls of righteous

deeds.

Nor sweeps from

off

his soul sin's

noisome

weeds,

Yet

will

he not despair of heavenly grace,

Seeing that one as two he ne'er misreads.

269.

Again

And

to tavern

is

repair,

say "Adieu" to the five hours of prayer

Where'er we

We

haunts do we

see a long-necked flask of wine,

elongate our necks that wine to share.

207.

C. L.

N. A. B.

I. J.

268.

C. L. N. A. B.

I. J.

the central doctrine of Islam.

An

answer to the

last.

Tauhid, or Unitarianism,

So Hafiz, Ode 465.


OMAR KHATyAM.

j\s>\

eJU

(jl^s^ ei^)il

181

^

j^ jj

nA J-Syb

269.

JLsuJ>

C. L. N. A. B.

" Allah akbar,"

I.

'JL/ZS^'^

Jn^

^

TaUir, the formula

J.

saying which the mind should be abstracted from worldly thoughts hence " renunciation/' in

;

Nicolas.


THE QUATRAINS OF

182

270.

We are but

chessmen, destined,

it is

That great chess player, Heaven,

moves us on

It

And then

life's

in death's

plain,

to entertain

chess-board to and

;

fro,

box shuts up again.

271.

You 'Tis

ask what long to

'Tis

And

is this life

tell,

so frail, so vain,

yet will I

make

plain

it

;

but a breath blown from the vasty deeps,

then blown back to those again

same deeps

!

272.

To-day to heights of rapture have I soared. Yea, and with drunken Maglis pure wine adored; I

am become

beside myself, and rest

In that pure temple,

"Am

Hahihati, see Bl., Prosody

270.

L. N. B.

271.

C. L. N. A. I. J.

Deeps,

i. e.

not I your Lord ?"

Some MSS.

the ocean of Not-being-.

3.

read

naksh.


OMAR KHAYYAM.

jb eJj ei^

^wXP

183

jjjJ^^

^^

rvi

rvr

C. L. N. A.

272.

words

to

I.

J.

Alasto birabbilmm, Allah's

Adam's sons: Koran,

Ode 43 (Brockhaus).

vii.

171.

So in Hafiz,


THE QUATRAINS OF

184

273.

My

queen (long

may she

live to

vex her slave !)

To-day a token of affection gave, Darting a kind glance from her eyes, she passed.

And

"Do

said,

good and cast

it

on the wave!'*

274 I

put

my lips

to the cup, for I did yearn

The hidden cause of length

He "

leaned his

Drink

!

for,

of days to learn

mine, and whispered low,

lip to

once gone, you never will return."

275.

We lay in the Thou

said'st,

and

cloak of Naught, asleep and

"Awake!

taste the world's

still.

good

ill;"

Here we are puzzled by Thy strange command.

From

slanted jars

273.

your i

L.

love.

tanliir.

N.

no

single drop to

Meaning, hope not

spill.

for a

return to

Nekuyey, " a good act," ya conjunctive and ya Vullers, p. 250.


OMAR KHAYYAM.

^^

274.

.^

^

^jaS >»(^

C. L. A. B.

I.

..

iCJi:^

J.

186

..V

^JS' fJ>==^

Some MSS.

j^

give line 4

differently.

275. 183.

L.

Naught,

i.e.

Not-being.

See note to No.


THE QUATRAINS OP

186

276.

O Thou who know'st the secret thoughts of all,

'

!

'

Grant '

who

In time of sorest need

me

aidest

all,

my

repentance, and accept

O Thou who

dost accept the pleas of

plea,

all

277. I

saw a bird perched on the walls of

Tiis,

Before him lay the skull of Kai Kawiis,

And thus Thy drums

he made his moan, "Alas, poor king! are hushed, thy

larums have rung

truce."

278.

Ask not the chances of the time

And

for the past,

'tis

to be,

vanished, as you see

This ready-money breath set

down

as gain.

Future and past concern not you or me.

276.

C. L. N. A.

277.

C. L. N.

A

I. J.

Tiis

Note tashdid on rabb dropped.

was near Nishapur.


OMAR

KHAYYAJtf.

187

rvi

rvv

at

rvA

^wjo* ^"-^^ >!

278.

C. L.

after silent he.

N. A.

I.

J.

i'>

In

y^

O^^^j

&?^ jj

line 1 note izdfat

Compare Horace's Ode

dropped

to Leuconoe.


THE QUATRAmS OF

188

279.

"What launched that golden orb his course to run,

What wrecks

his firm foundations,

when

'tis

done,

No man

of science ever weighed with scales,

Nor made assay with touchstone,

no, not one

280. I

pray thee to

Cast

ofi'

This Sell

my

counsel lend thine ear.

this false hypocrisy's veneer life

moment

a

is,

the next

not eternity for earthly gear

time,

all !

281.

Ofttimes I plead

My

my

foolishness to Thee,

heart contracted with perplexity

I gird

me

;

with the Magian zone, and

For shame so poor a Musulman to The vanity

279.

L.

280.

C. L. N. A. B.

noun, as before.

why ?

be.

of science. I.

Note rd separated from

Vullers, p. 173.

its


OMAR KHAYYAM.

189

jj*)Ui ^j^LiL^ :^j,^,j<N iJJs*:^

281.

C. L. N. A.

dissolving the long ya.

I.

J.

In

line

1

scan nadamyi,


THE QUATRAINS OP

190

282.

Khayyam!

And

still

rejoice that

wine you

still

can pour,

the charms of tulip cheeks adore

;

You'll soon not be, rejoice then that you are,

Think how 'twould be in case you were no

more

!

283.

Once, in a potter's shop, a company

Of cups

And "

in converse did I chance to see,

lo

!

one

lifted

up

his voice,

and

cried,

Who made, who sells, who buys this crockery ? 284.

Last night, as I reeled from the tavern door, I

saw a

sage,

I said, "

who

a great wine-jug bore;

Shaikh, have you no

shame?"

Said he,

"Allah hath boundless mercy in his store."

282.

C. L. N. A. B.

283.

C. L.

N. A. B.

284.

C. L.

N. A.

I.

J.

I. J.

I.

J.

Men's speculations.

Sar mast, a compound,


OMAR KHAYYAM.

191

TaT

o^y c/l^ (ji>U

jb^

c^-:> j(^>T ^^j^

ci-^ j^

(j^

&^^l£:>i

Tap

hence izdfat omitted. _ya)

followed by yd.

«

Saboyey, hamza (for conjunctive

tankir.

See Lumsden,

ii.

269.


THE QUATRAINS OF

192

285. Life's fount I,

is

wine, Khizer

like Elias, find it 'Tis

where

I

its

guardian,

can

sustenance for heart and spirit too,

Allah himself calls wine " a boon to man."

286.

Though wine

is

banned, yet drink, for ever

drink

By day and

night, with strains of music drink

!

Where'er thou lightest on a cup of wine, Spill just

one drop, and take the

rest,

and

drink

287.

Although the creeds number some seventythree, I hold with

What Thou'rt

285.

none but that of loving Thee

matter all

we

C. L.

faith, unfaith, obedience, sin?

need, the rest

N. A.

discovered the water of 286.

C. L.

N. A.

I.

J.

is

Koran,

vanity.

ii.

216.

Elias

life.

I.

J.

To

spill

a drop

is

a sign


OMAR KHAYYAM.

C*'ly^ Lr=tJL)

^^J

J^

193

CiT*

f^^^

TAv

M

of liberality. 287.

N.

Nicolas.

See note on Quatrain 191.

are indifferent.

See Gulshan

i

Forms

liaz, p. 83.

O

of

tailli


THE QUATEAINS OF

194

288. Tell

As

one by one

for

my

scanty virtues o'er;

sins, forgive

my faults

Let not

By

my

them by

kindle

Thy wrath

Muhammad's tomb,

blest

the score to flame

forgive

once

more 289.

Grieve not at coming

And what

you

can't defeat

far-sighted person goes to

Cheer up

Your fate

ill,

meet

bear not about a world of

!

is fixed,

it,

it ?

grief,

and grieving will not cheat

it.

290.

There

is

a chalice

With tokens

made with wit profound,

of the Maker's favour crowned

Yet the world's Potter takes

And

dashes

288.

it

to pieces

on the ground

Rastd-ullah

L. N. B.

Arabic, no izd/at

is

needed.

his masterpiece,

:

the construction being

Lumsden,

ascribed to Zahir ud-din Faryabi.

!

ii.,

p. 251.

Also


OMAR KHAYYAM.

196

TA A

(^^

23

&:>

Line 2

289.

L.

290.

C. L. A.

that Thou

iuf J ^Jy^ ^Jj^

is

I. J.

i:;^^

cd>

a question.

So Job

:

" Is

it

g-ood unto

Thee

shouldest despise the labour of Thine hands 7"


THE QUATRAINS OP

196

291.

In truth wine

A

a spirit thin as

is

air,

limpid soul in the cup's earthen ware

No

dull dense person shall he friend of

mine

Save wine-cups, which are dense and also

rare.

292.

wheel of heaven

No

ties of salt,

no

ties

of bread you

flay

me

like

!

you

A woman's wheel

an

feel,

eel

spins clothes for

man and

wife, It does

more good than you,

heavenly wheel

293.

Did no 1

fair rose

would make

And

if I

my

paradise adorn,

shift to

lacked

my

deck

it

with a thorn

prayer-mats, beads, and

Shaikh,

Those Christian

bells

and

L6.i/ik

.... man:

stoles I

would not

scorn.

^91.

L. N. B.

because of the interveninjj^ words. 292.

C. L. N. A.

I. J.

/zo/Jz^

Lumsden,

omitted

ii.,

250.


OMAR KHAYYAM.

Cdjo\^\3 J^-*^--^

293.

C. L. N. A.

the translation.

I.

(under Te).

So Pope

" For forms and creeds

197

^jj^ jj

Line 2

is

omitted in

:

let graceless zealots fight."


THE QUATRAINS OF

198

294.

"If heaven deny "

Let

me

peace and fame," I said,

be open war and shame instead

it

;

The man who scorns bright wine had best beware, I'll

arm me with

a stone, and break his head!"

295.

See

!

the

Arise

!

dawn breaks, and rends night's canopy

and drain a morning draught with

Away

with gloom

full

!

many

a

dawn

me will

break

Looking

for us,

and we not here

to see

!

296.

who tremble not

you,

Nor wash

at fires of hell,

in water of remorse's well.

When winds

of death shall quench your vital

torch,

Beware

lest earth

294.

C. L. N. A.

295.

C. L.

N. A.

your guilty dust expel.

I. J. I. J.

Bisydr,

*

frequently.'


OMAR KHAYYAM.

ci)jo\

ci^

e)i53

^U

199

^/

e)j^\ ciiOj ^\y>J\ J«3 ^* (.U

eJj^\

CiiXlju**

j^ ^^y^ ^^^ Lr^=^^

eJbj^

296.

answer

L. to

^^J<^ C^Ijo

Possibly written

Khayyam's

scoffs.

^Ij^

by some pious

reader as an

See note on Quatrain 223.


THE QUATRAINS OP

200

297.

This world a hollow pageant you should

men know

All wise

deem

things are not what they

seem;

Be

of good cheer, and drink, and so shake

ofi*

This vain illusion of a baseless dream.

298.

With maids As

roses

Or

stately as cypresses,

and

fair

newly plucked, your wine-cups

share,

Death's blasts shall rend your robe

e'er

of flesh

Like yonder rose leaves, lying scattered there

!

299.

Cast

Woo the But she

!

sweet daughter of the grape, no other

The daughter is

298.

C. L. N. A. i

it is true,

nicer than her lawful mother

L. N.

daman

forbidden,

is

297.

8UJS

melancholy brother

off dull care,

All earthly existence I. J.

is

!

" Maya'*

The Lucknow commentator

gul means the maid's cheek.


OMAR KHAYYAM.

JU^-j c*

t'il^

sLf^

201

uj^ ^^jy^

ciT-^

o

J^Lr*> J^j^O^

J:^ ^3lc 299.

N.

"Daughter

^^j^

^

&^=5 &^ p\y: of the grape,"

translation of an Arabic phrase.

i.e.

wine,

a


THE QUATRAINS OF

202

300.

My

love shone forth, and I was overcome,

My

heart was speaking, but

my

tongue was

dumb Beside the water-brooks T died of

Was

known

ever

so strange a

thirst.

martyrdom ?

301.

Give

me my

cup in hand, and sing a glee

In concert with the bulbuls' symphony

Wine would If drinking

not gurgle as

mute were

it

leaves the flask,

right for thee and

me

302.

shown to lofty thought,

The "Truth"

will not be

Nor yet with

lavished gold

But,

if

you

From words

may

it

be bought;

yield your life for fifty years,

to "states"

you may perchance be

brought.

300.

N.

Lumsden, 301.

ii.

Dil ruhdye, 142.

C. L.

Fur

N. A.

'

that well-known charmer.''

sukhan.

I. J.

See note on No. 227,


OMAR KHAYYAM.

J^

203

^^3 ul^3 J ^y^ J^

ioJ>

I

JJj ^^^-^ J s-^ ^^^ ^^^ ^

r»r

302. soul,

L.

Line

and eat blood

union with the

'

3, literally,

" Unless you

for fifty years.''

'

dig-

States

'

up your

of ecstatic

Truth/ or Deity of the Mystics.


THE QUATRAINS OF

204

303.

solved all problems,

I

down from

Saturn's

wreath

Unto

this lowly sphere of earth beneath,

And

leapt out free from bonds of fraud

and

lies,

Yea, every knot was loosed, save that of death

304.

Peace

!

the eternal

"Has been" and "To be"

Pass man's experience, and man's theory

In joyful seasons naught can vie with wine,

To

all

these riddles wine supplies the key

305.

Allah, our Lord,

is

merciful,

though just;

Sinner! despair not, but His mercy trust!

For though to-day you perish in your

sins.

To-morrow He'll absolve your crumbling 303.

C. L. A.

I. J.

Hamay

har,

and similar words,

are generally written without the izdfat.

249.

See Bl., Prosody

xii.

dust.

Lumsden,

ii.,


OMAR KHAYYAM.

Jj^ Ca^^p L

304.

C. L. A. B.

305.

C. L. N. A. I. J.

s-*U-^

205

S^t^

/•ISoo^

I. J.

A

very Voltairean quatrain.


THE QUATRAINS OF

206

306.

Your course annoys me, Unloose If

me

ye wheeling skies

!

from your chain of tyrannies

none but

fools

Then favour me,

your favours

may

enjoy,

—I am not very wise 307.

City Mufti, you go more astray

Than I I

do,

though to wine I do give way

drink the blood of grapes, you that of

Which

of us

is

men

the more bloodthirsty, pray

?

308. 'Tis well to drink,

Por what

is

past,

Our prisoned

A while

and leave anxiety

and what

spirits, lent

yet to be

us for a day,

from reason's bondage

306.

C.L.N.

A.

I. J.

307.

C. L. N. A.

I. J.

justice

is

by Muftis.

shall

go free

Alluding to the selling of


OMAR KHAYYAM.

^^

308.

p^

il^ Jji

C. L.

N. A.

rowed soul/'

iji^

^^^

a:ib ^Ij^

I. J.

207

^^

&fe

^:iV}

sj

^J

'Anydti rawdn, "this bor-


THE QUATRAINS OF

208

309.

When Khayyam

quittance at

Death's hand

receives,

And

sheds his outworn

Eull gladly will he

Ere dustmen

sift

life,

as trees their leaves,

world away,

sift this

his ashes in their sieves.

310.

This wheel of heaven, which makes us all afraid, I liken to

a lamp's revolving shade.

The sun the

And men

candlestick, the earth the shade,

the tremhling forms thereon por-

trayed.

311.

Who was it that did mix my clay Not I. Who spun my weh of silk and wool ? Not I. Who wrote upon my forehead all my good. And all my evil deeds ? In truth not I. ?

309.

C. L. N. A.

810.

C. L.

I.

N. A. B.

Chinese lantern.

J. I.

Fdnus

i

hhiyal, a

magic or


OMAR KHAYYAM.

n

311.

word

C. L. N. A.

I.

In

209

I

line 2 the

to be rishtai, not rushtai.

rhyme shows the


THE QUATRAINS OF

210

312.

O

let

us not forecast to-morrow's

But count to-day as To-morrow we

gain,

my

fears,

brave compeers

shall quit this inn,

and march

With comrades who have marched seven thousand years.

313.

moment

Ne'er for one

Wine keeps

Had

leave your cup unused

heart, faith,

Iblis

and reason

too,

!

amused;

swallowed hut a single drop,

To worship Adam he had

ne'er refused

314 Come, dance while we applaud !

Thy sweet Narcissus

A score But

'tis

312.

of cups

is

enchantiDg C. L.

creation of

N. A.

Adam was

eyes,

thee,

and adore

and grape-juice pour;

no such great

affair,

when we reach

three score!

Badauni

337) says the

I. J.

(ii.

7000 years before his time.

pare Hafiz, Ruba'i, 10.

Com-


OMAE KHAYYAM.

211

rir

rir

313.

C. L. (in part) N. A.

314.

K

Narcissus eyes,

I. J.

i.e.

See Koran,

lani^uiJ.

ii.

.31.


THE QUATRAINS OF

212

315. I close the door of

Nor sue

He

ONE

face.

from good men, or base

for favours

I have but

my own

hope in

to lend a helping hand,

knows, as well as

I,

my

sorry case.

316.

Ah by !

j

these heavens, that ever circling run.

And by my own

base lusts I

Without the wit

And wanting

am

undone,

abandon worldly hopes.

to

sense the world's allures to shun

317.

On

earth's green carpet

And

hid beneath

And

it

many

sleepers

others I descry

others, not yet come, or passed away,

People the desert of Nonentity 315.

C.

lamenting 316.

lie,

L. N. A.

his

own

I.

J.

condition.

C. L. N. A.

I.

,T.

A

!

" Edliija" quatrain,


OMAR KHAYYAM.

213

rli

^jh J

^^ j^

j^

^^

f^j^

riv

317.

C. L.

N. A.

I. J.

The

sleepers

are those sunk in the sleep of superstition

on the earth

and ignorance.


THE QUATKAINS OF

214

318.

Sure of Thy grace, for sins

why need

I fear ?

How can the pilgrim faint whilst Thou art near ? On the last day Thy grace will wash me white. And make my

" black record " to disappear.

319.

Think not

And

see

I dread

my

from out the world to

disembodied

spirit fly;

tremble not at death, for death

I

'Tis

my

ill life

hie.

that makes

me

is

true,

fear to die

320.

Let us shake

Our

off dull reason's

incubus,

tale of days or years cease to discuss,

And

take our jugs, and plenish them with

wine

Or

e'er

grim potters make their jugs of us

318. C. L. N. A.

not after waw.

319.

C. L.

certainty.

I. J.

Lumsden, N. A.

I.

Am ii.

J.

is

72.

usual after silent Ae,

See Koran,

'Death

So Sir Philip Sidney

(after

is

M.

xiii,

true/

47.

i.e.

Aurelius)^

a


OMAR KHAYYAM.

215

riA

rr

^^j^

ijjXi,

&^

*

&ib*J V>um9

&^ J^i j3

"Since Nature's works be good, and death doth serve

As Nature's work, why 320.

C. L.

N. A. B.

should

I. J.

we

fear to

die?"

JIar roza, an adjective.


THE QCJATRAINS OF

216

321.

How much more

raw

wilt thou chide,

am

For that I drink, and

a libertine

divine,

?

Thou hast thy weary beads, and saintly show, Leave me

my cheerful

sweetheart, and

my wine

322.

Against I

my

think on I trust

But even

lusts I ever war, in vain,

my

ill

Thou so,

deeds with shame and pain

wilt assoil

me

my shame must

of

my

still

sins,

remain.

323.

In these twin compasses,

One body with two

O

heads, like you

Which wander round one But

at the last in

N. A.

Love, you see

and me.

centre, circlewise,

one same point agree.

321.

C. L.

322.

C. L. N.

A

B.

323.

C. L. N. A.

I.

I. J. I.

Mr. Fitzgerald quotes a similar


OMAR KHAYYAM.

217

rn Jc*- 0<i^\j

(s\

^^ kI^'^

f^3^J^

Jos-

\3

(^^^ j^^^

^

figure used by the poet Donne, for which see Ward's " English Poets/' i. 562. The two heads are the points

of the compasses.


THE QUATEAINS OP

218

324.

"We shall not stay here long, but while we do, 'Tis folly

Why

wine and sweethearts to eschew

ask

if

earth etern or transient he

Since you must go,

?

matters not to you.

it

325.

In reverent

sort to

mosque

But, by great Allah,

No! but to

it is

I

wend

not to pray

prayer-mat!

steal a

my way, When

'tis

worn, I go again, another to purvey.

326.

No more But

let fate's

annoys our peace consume,

let us rather rosy

wine consume

The world our murderer

is,

;

and wine

its

blood.

Shall

we not then sume

that murderer's blood con-

?

324.

C. L. N. A. B.

325.

C. L.

N. A. B.

I. J. I. J.

To " steal a prayer-mat


OMAR KHAYYAM.

219

m

is

to pray to be seen of

some hypocrite, perhaps 326.

L. N.

men.

—Nicolas.

himself.

See Koran,

ii.

187.

A

satire

on


THE QUATRAINS OF

220

327.

For

tliee I

And,

if I

vow

to cast repute away,

shrink, the penalty to

Though

life

might

pay

satisfy thy cruelty,

'Twere naught, I'll bear

it till

the judgment-day

328.

In Being's rondure do we stray belated,

Our

manhood humbled and abated

pride of

Would we were gone! long

since have

we

been wearied

With

and with

this world's griefs,

its

pleasures

sated.

329.

The world is false,

And with grants

327silent he,

328.

be false as well,

I'll

bright wine, and gladness ever dwell "

They say,

He

so

it

May Allah grant thee penitence!

not,

and did

C. L. N. A. B.

and

ra,

L. N.

I.

he, I'd rebel

Note

separated from

its

izafat dropped after

noun.


OMAR KHAYYAM.

221

rrA

329. '

C. L. N. A. B.

illusion/

QxAfan,

'

I. J.

art, fraud.'

Note the pun on fana,


THE QUATRAINS OF

222

330.

When

Death shall tread

me down upon

the

plain.

And pluck my feathers, and my life-blood drain, Then mould me Haply

to a cup,

scent will

its

and

fill

with wine

make me breathe

again.

331.

So

far as this world's dealings I

I find its

favours shamefully misplaced

Allah be praised

Prom

have traced,

all its

!

I see

myself debarred

boons, and wrongfully disgraced.

332. 'Tis

dawn

And dash

My And

!

my

heart with wine I will recruit.

to bits the glass of

long-extending hopes

good repute

I will

;

renounce.

grasp long tresses, and the charming lute.

N. A. B.

330.

C. L.

331.

C. L. N. A.

I.

I.

J.

'Alam kama,

&c., "states entirely


OMAR KHAYYAM.

^^

^a>j

^^

^«

^j^

223

&^s> a-ib

rri

rrr

gratuitous/'

ody, p. 11. :332.

L

Write

(^ffm?i

without a tnadd.

Compare Shakespear, Sonnet N. B.

QQ.

Bl., Pros-


THE QUATRAINS OP

224

333.

Though I

I

had sinned the

know Thou would' st Thou

One

to

sins of all

mankind,

mercy be

inclined;

sayest, " I will help in

needier than

me where

time of need:"

wilt

Thou

find ?

334.

Am I a wine- bibber ? Gueber, or infidel

Each I

?

What

if I

Suppose I

sect miscalls me, but I

am my

am ?

am ? heed them not,

own, and, what I am, I am.

335.

All

my

And

life

long from drink I have not ceased,

drink I will to-night on Kader's feast

And throw my arms about the wine-jar's neck,

And

kiss its lip,

333. sonant,

and clasp

C. L. N. A. I. J.

it

to

The waw

and therefore takes hasra

my breast in 'afw is a con-

for the izafat,

the intervention of conjunctive ya.

without


OMAR KHAYYAM.

225

rrr

334.

"

C. L. N. A.

my own 335.

I. J.

Zan

i

khud

for

azdn

i

khud,

property/'

C. L. N. A. I. J.

Koran, xcvi.

Kadr, the night of power.

1.

Q


THE QUATRAINS OF

226

336. I

know what

The

and what

lore of things above,

But If

is,

is

not, I

know

and things below;

cheerfully renounce,

all this lore will

one a higher grade than drink can show.

337.

am no

Though

I drink wine, I

Nor am

I grasping, save of

libertine.

cups of wine;

I scruple to adore myself, like

For

this cause to

wine-worship

you

I incline.

338.

To confidants

like

What mankind

you

really are

Affliction's clay,

They

:—moulded

and kneaded in

of clay,

distress.

taste the world awhile, then pass away.

336. L. N. B. i.e.

I dare to say

Line

1,

Being- and Not-being,

'

Grade/

of learning.

337.

C. L. N. A,

I.

J.

A

hit

at the vain

and


OMAR KHAYYAM.

227

m ^b

^j.^ J\j^ ^s^joy

m

rrA

covetous Mollas. 338.

Also ascribed to Anwari.

C. L. N. A.

BL, Prosody,

p. 12.

I. J.

Note the archaic form

Mihnat zadaye^hamza forya

i

hudasl.

lankir.


THE QUATRAINS OF

228

339.

We

wine-jar's lip our place of prayer,

make the

And

drink in lessons of true

And

manhood

pass our lives in taverns,

if

there,

perchance

The time misspent in mosques we may

repair.

340.

Man

is

the whole creation's summary,

The precious apple

of great wisdom's eye;

circle of existence is a ring,

The

Whereof the

signet

humanity.

is

341.

With

fancies, as

with wine, our heads we turn.

Aspire to heaven, and earth's low trammels

spurn; But,

when we drop

this fleshly clog,

From dust we came, and back 339. train

is

340.

L. N.

In

line

'tis

seen

to dust return.

4 scan saioma'ahd.

This qua-

probably mystical. C. L. N. A.

I.

In line 3 scan angashtariyad.


OMA.R KHAYYAM.

oj^ db

Man

is

the microcosm.

^ j^^\j w^>T See

Guhhan

" The captain jewel of the careanet." 341.

L. N.

229

i

Rdz, p. 15.


THE QUATRAINS OF

230

342. If so

be that

it

Think not past

I

I did

break the

meant

it

no

;

!

fast,

I

thought 'twas

;

That day more weary than a sleepless night,

And

blessed breakfast-time

had come

at last

343. I never

But

drank of joy's sweet

grief's fell

Nor dipped

cordial,

hand infused a drop

my

of gall

bread in pleasure's piquant

salt,

But briny sorrow made me smart withal 344.

At dawn

to tavern haunts I

And with

wend my way,

distraught Kalendars pass the day

O Thou

!

who know'st

things secret, and

things known,

Grant 342.

In

me Thy grace, L. N.

line 2, for

343.

that I

may

learn to pray

!

Hoza hliwardan, "to avoid fasting."

bekhabar read hdkhabar.

C. L. N. A.

I.

Line

4,

literally,

"eat

a


OMAR KHAYYAM.

*^j^

roast of

344.

my own

J>\j^ ^j^Sl (_a^=>

*

jjl

\3

liver/'

C. L. N. A.

as well as

231

concealed.'

I.

J.

Khafiyijcit

means ' manifest/

Lucknow commentator.


THE QUATRAINS OF

232

345.

The world's annoys So

I rate not at

one grain,

once a day, I don't complain;

I eat

And, since earth's kitchen yields no

no

I pester

man

solid food,

with petitions vain.

346.

Never from worldly

Never I

for

have I been

toils

free,

one short moment glad to be

!

served a long apprenticeship to fate,

But yet of fortune gained no mastery. 347.

One hand with Koran, one with wine-cup I

haK incline

to

dight,

wrong, and half to right

The azure-marbled sky looks down on me

A

sorry Moslem, yet not heathen quite.

04)5.

C. L. N. A.

In

I. J.

not treated as an Alif i wasl. 346.

C. L.

moment.'

N. A.

I.

J.

line 3 the

Alif in az

is

Bl., Pros. 10.

Ek dam

zadaiij

'

For one


OMAR KHAYYAM.

^

^

347.

3U»

iVjl

:>^i.

C, L. N. A. I. J.

JU- Juo J

5^j

j_5;5o

jl c;>j ^uX5o

Khayyam

himself as akrates rather than akolastos.

proboque" &c.

233

here describes

" Video meliora


THE QUATEAINS OP

234

348.

Khayyam's respects

And

to

Mustafa convey,

with due reverence ask him to say,

Why it has pleased him to forbid pure When he allows his people acid whey ?

wine,

349.

Khayyam,

Tell

He strangely

for a

master of the schools.

misinterprets

Where have

I said that

'Tis lawful for the wise,

my

plain rules

wine is wrong for

hut not for

all ?

fools.

350.

My

critics call

me

But Allah knows I

full well

know not even what

Why on

this earth I

348 and 349. in Whalley's

mad.

a philosopher,

L.

I am,

much

less

a sojourner

These two quatrains are also found

Moradabad

So Avicenna.

am

they greatly err;

edition.

Mustafa,

i.e.

Muham-

See Renan, Averroes, 171.


OMAR KHAYYAM.

/•l^

L-->U

^^j

(^ ^w

235

ClA*Jti)o.

&^»

f-J^ J^

^j^^y^ ^^'^

_5

K«0

^ c^ ^

350,

C.

L.

philosophy as

A.

I.

J.

cultivated

opposition to theology.

&^i

Filsafat

aS'

job ^1

meant the Greek

by Persian

ratioyalists,

Renan, Averroes,

p, 9i.

in


THE QUATRAINS OF

236

351.

The more

I die to self, I live the more,

The more abase myself, the higher And, strange

!

soar

the more I drink of Being's

wine

More sane

and sober than before

I grow,

!

352.

am

Quoth

rose, " I

Eor in

my mouth

I said, "

the Yusuf flower, I swear,

rich golden

gems

I bear

:"

Show me another proof." Quoth

she,

" Behold this blood-stained vesture that I wear

!

353. I studied with the masters long ago,

And

long ago did master

Hear now the end and

Prom

all

they know;

issue of it

all,

earth I came, and like the wind I go

!

Clearly mystical.

351.

L.

352.

L. B.

Yusuf

is

the type of manly beauty.

The yello\\{ stamens are compared in " Yusuf w a Zulaikha."

to his teeth.

So Jami,


OMAR KHAYYAM.

^j^^ J^

(JjS-

237

CJ^

&^

liiif

oJw» iU^b ^^^5o a>s:^

Jo^^ &^

353.

L.

B.

exclamation of

1,1c

aS'^^ ^k-* ^bb

Mr. Fitzgerald compares the dying-

Nizam ul-Mulk, "

hands of the wind !"

I

am

Mantik ut Tair,

1.

going 4620.

in the


THE QUATRAINS OF

238

354.

Death

though we were pure at

finds us soiled, birth,

With

we

grief

go,

although

we came with

mirth

Watered with

tears,

and burned with

fires

of

woe.

And, casting

to winds,

life

we

rest in earth

355.

To

find great

Jamshed's world-reflecting bowl

I compassed sea and land,

But,

when

I

That bowl was

and viewed the whole;

asked the wary sage, I learned

my own

body, and

my

soul

356.

Me,

cruel

And from

Queen

to captivate,

a knight to a poor

You marshal

You

you love

!

take

my

all

pawn

your force to

translate

tire

rooks with yours,

me

;

out,

and then

checkmate 354.

C. L. A.

355.

L

whole world,

Meaning,

I. J.

King- Jarashed^s cup, which reflected the is

"man

the is

Holy Grail of Persian poetry. the

microcosm.'^

See

note

on


OMAR KHAYYAM.

239

^>jja eJb'^3 ^^oJi ^Js^y\

CJb

[--co

No. 340. 356. rnkh,

'

In line 2 scan naglinudem. C. L. A.

castle/

is

I. J.

The pun on rukh,

untranslatable.

'

cheek/ and


THE QUATRAINS OF

240

357. If Allah wills

How

me

can I frame

Each

not to will

my

will to will aright

single act I will

He

Since none but

ai'ight, ?

must needs be wrong,

has power to will aright.

358. **

Por once, while

*'

I'll

roses are in bloom," I said,

break the law, and please myself instead,

"With blooming youths, and maidens' tulip

cheeks

The plain

blossom like a tulip-bed."

shall

359.

Think not

Or walk

I

am

existent of myself,

this blood-stained

This being

is

not

I, it is

pathway of myself; of

Him.

Pray what, and where, and whence

is

this

'myself?'

357.

C. L.

358.

L, N.

on No. 199.

A.

I. J.

Rozi,

ya

i

hatni, or tankir.

(?)

See note


OMAR KHAYYAM.

241

rev

roA

p^^

359.

C. L. A.

Meaning, Man^s the

" Truth,"

I. J.

real

In

Lf^oli^i

line 3 I

existence

is

C,wAf ^ldoi>

omit

wa

after

In bud.

not of himself, but of

the universal Noimenon.


THE QUATRAINS OP

242

360.

Endure Drag on

this

They

my

wine

load without

my

cups

life's

am the

I

world without

say,

slave of that sweet

" Take one

more

I cannot I

cannot

moment, when goblet,"

and

I

cannot 361.

You, who both day and night the world pursue,

And thoughts

of that dread day of doom eschew,

Bethink you of your

As time has treated

latter

end

;

be sure

others, so 'twill

you

362.

man, who

art creation's

Getting and spending too

summary.

much

trouble thee

Arise, and quaif the Etern Cupbearer's wine,

And

is

so

from troubles of both worlds be

360.

C. L.

A.

301.

C. L.

N. A.

36^.

C. L. N. A.

too

much with

free

I. J. I.

I. J.

us," &c.

So Wordsworth, " The world

The

Sufis rejected talah

ud


OI\rAR

KHAYYAM.

243

o

rir

c)\:l-.^

dutiJ/a,

Jb JUjjl

" worldliness/' and lalah

id

^ ^^''

UkJunuif^ '^otber-

worldliuess/'for ialab ulJIaula "d isinter ested Godliness ."

So

Madame Guyon taught " Holy

Indifference."


THE QUATRAINS OP

244

363.

In

this eternally revolving zone,

Two

lucky species of

men

are

One knows all good and One

neither earth's

ill

aflPairs,

known that are on earth,

nor yet his own.

364.

Make

light to

me

the world's oppressive weight,

And hide my failings from the people's hate, And grant me peace to-day, and on the morrow Deal with

me

as

Thy mercy may

dictate

365.

Souls that are well informed of this world's state, Its

weal and woe with equal mind await,

For, be

it

weal we meet, or be

The weal doth 363. classes

364.

pass,

C. L. N. A.

N. A.

woe,

and woe too hath

I. J.

seem to be practical C. L.

it

I. J.

its date.

Tamdm, 'entirely.' The two men and mystics. In

line

4 scan dnchaz.


OMAR KHAYYAM.

245

r^f

ij^

J^ ^^j ^^ J!^^

^^ ul4^

jl;^

3

Jo JUslj J.

r 16

uLio 0^ jy ^j

365.

C. L.

N. A. B.

hundred years hence.

I.

J.

J

j*^

J <rf^^

^Twill all be one a


THE QUATEAINS OF

240

366.

Lament not But up

!

want of constancy,

fortune's

and

seize

her favours ere they

If fortune always cleaved to other

How

flee

;

men,

could a turn of luck have come to thee

?

367.

Chief of old friends

!

hearken to what I

say.

Let not heaven's treacherous wheel your heart

dismay

But

rest contented in

And watch

your humhle nook,

the games that wheel

is

wont

to

play.

368.

Hear now Khayydm's advice, and bear in mind. Consort with revellers, though they be maligned. Cast

down the

gates of abstinence and prayer.

Yea, drink, and even rob, but, oh 866.

C. L.

N. A.

Parviz to his Sultana. 367.

C. L. N. A.

I. J.

!

This was a saying of Kisra

BicknelPs Hafiz, I. J.

be kind

p. 73.


OMAR KHAYYAM.

^\f^j^

^j-lXcU>

247

:>^^

«-^j^

(J^-IJJ tl^C-lxi $r&>0^ ^'SJ^^

J

o

^5o-« U^JOj O-cJo*

368.

C. L. N. A. B.

of the doctrine,

Mercy

I. J.

is

A rather

^ly^ ^

violent extension

better than sacrifice.


THE QUATRAINS OF

248

369.

This world a body

And

angels are

Its

limbs

is,

and God

its senses,

—the

who

its soul,

control

elements,

creatures,

and

spheres

The

ONE

is

the sole basis of the whole.

370.

Last night that idol

With true Gave

He

who enchants my

desire to elevate

me

his

said, "

cup to drink

my ;

drink to gratify

heart,

heart.

when

my

I refused,

heart

!"

371.

Would'st thou have fortune

bow her neck

to

thee.

Make

thy care to feed thy soul with glee;

it

And hold The cup

a creed like mine, which

is,

to drain

of wine, not that of misery.

369.

L. N.

370.

N.

371.

L. N.

So Pope, " All are but

parts,''

So the Ecclesiast, "There

is

&c.

nothing


OMAR KHAYYAM.

249

n1

j^.j

ulxl^

e;^ Job

better for a

make

man

&^:>jj\

iliUff^l C.J.C

than that he should

his soul enjoy

good

^^

eat^

in his labour."

^joU

U^^f:^

and drinkj and


THE QUATRAINS OF

250

372.

Though you Tliis

my

survey,

enlightened friend,

world of vanity from end to end,

You

will discover there

Than wine and

no other good

rosy cheeks, you

may depend

373.

Last night upon the river bank I

with

my

we lay,

wine-cup, and a maiden gay,

So bright

it

shone, like pearl within

The watchman

cried,

its shell,

" Behold the break of

day!" 374.

Have you no shame

for all the sins

you

Sins of omission and commission too

do,

?

Suppose you gain the world, you can but leave

You cannot 372.

N.

it,

carry

it

away with you

Note izdfat dropped

sahib.

Bl.,

]/a i tankir,

the

after

Prosody, p. 14. 873.

N.

Nigare, Here

i/a

may

be


OMAR KHAYYAM.

uir-^

lA^ u^^^ j

251

J*^ ;^

'^^

rvr

LTl^J^ j^^

^-^^

LT^ J^

<^^ J^W ^3^ ^^ j^j3 die d^-\jJ\j^

i24A^ being dispensed with (Lumsden, perhaps ^a 371.

i

tausifi before the " si/at

C. L. N. A.

I. J.

ii.

Ll^*^

^ c^ 269),

" mawzun.

[?]

or


THE QUATRAINS OP

252

375.

In a lone waste

saw a debaucliee,

I

He had no home, no

No God, no Where

truth,

in this world

faith,

no heresy,

no law, no certitude is

man so

bold as he

?

376.

Some look

for truth in creeds,

and forms, and

rules

Some grope for doubts or dogmas But from behind the

in the schools

veil a voice proclaims,

" Your road lies neither here nor there,

fools."

377.

In heaven

is

seen the bull

we name

Parwln,

Beneath the earth another lurks unseen

And

thus to wisdom's eyes mankind appear

A drove 375.

L. N.

A

376.

C. L.

N. A.

and \

two great bulls between

of asses,

philosophers,

Bdz,

p. 11.

is

leshara' or antinomian Sufi. I.

Truth, hidden from theologians

revealed to mystics.

See Gulshan

i


OMAR KHAYYAM.

253

r vo

^^

&!>j lx>3

&jj

>»!iLji

AJj^^jo

rvi

rvv

377.

L. N.

The

bulls are the constellation Taurus^

and that which supports the ful ;" izdfat displaced

by yd

i

earth. tankir,

Mushte, " a hand-

Lumsden,

ii.

269.


THE QUATRAINS OF

264

378.

The people

say,

''Why not drink somewhat

less ?

What reasons have you for such great excess ? " Eu'st,

my

Love's face, second,

my

morning

draught

Can

there be clearer reasons,

now

confess

?

379.

Had

I the power great Allah to advise,

I'd hid

him sweep away

this earth

and

skies,

And build a better, where, unclogged and free, The

clear soul

might achieve her high emprise.

380.

This

silly

sorrow-laden heart of mine

Is ever pining for that

When

Love of mine

the Cupbearer poured the wine of

love,

With

my

heart's blood he filled this

cup of

mine!

378.

C. L. N. A. I. J.

379.

C. L. N. A.

I. J.

This recalls the celebrated

speech of Alphonso X., king of Castile.


OMAR KHAYYAM.

255

rvA Ui?^

J> >^ ^^ c/

^ir^

^^-/

^i>L* U^3c>^i etiJiy

Ta

^ ^^U^ 380.

C. L.

N. A.

existence, poured

See

GuUhan

i

I.

•

oiJij

p. 80.

^

Meanino-,

by the Deity into

Bdz,

-.1

'

all

tj^>

j^

the wine of

life,

or

beings at creation.'


THE QUATRAINS OF

256

381.

To

drain the cup, to hover round the

Can

fair,

hypocritic arts with these compare ?

who

If all

love and drink are going wrong,

many

There's

wight of heaven

a

may

well

despair

382. 'Tis

wrong with gloomy thoughts your mirth to drown,

To let

griefs millstone weigh your spirits

Since none can

With wine and

tell

what

is

to be,

love your heart's

'tis

down best

desires to

crown.

383. 'Tis well in reputation to abide, 'Tis

shameful against heaven to

and chide

head had better ache with over drink,

Still,

Than be 381.

rail

puffed

L.

up with Pharisaic

N. B.

pride

Note the plural nekudn formed

without the euphonic yd.

Scan n^Mwdfi.


OMAR KHAYYAM.

257

TAT

^:>^

cJ^

GiXxw^

^^y> Oy^\^ &^

^^ lA^

&S'

Job

aS'

*-H^

Jb3

ji

TAr

tJ^^ jJt;** vjH^ ^^j^ &^=oK 382.

C. L. N. A. B.

383.

C. L.

N. A.

&3

I. J.

I. J.

Compare

Tartuffe,

i.

S

6.


THE QUATRAINS OF

258^

384.

O

Lord! pity this prisoned heart, I pray,

Pity this bosom stricken with dismay

Pardon these hands that ever grasp the cup, 1

These

feet that to the tavern ever stray

385.

Lord

from

!

Sever from This self

Make me

self-conceit deliver

self, is

me,

and occupy with Thee

captive to earth's good and

beside myself, and set

me

ill,

free

386.

Behold the tricks

And

O

this

wheeling dome doth play,

earth laid bare of old friends torn live this present

moment, which

away

is

thine,

Seek not a morrow, mourn not yesterday

384.

N.

385.

C. L. N. A.

I.

J.

A mystic^s prayer.


'

OMAR KHAYYAl:


THE QUATRAINS OP

260

387.

Since

all

man's business in

Is sorrow's

Happy

And

pangs to

feel,

this

and

are they that never

world of woe

grief to

come

at

know, all,

they that, having come, the soonest go

388.

By

reason's dictates

it is

right to live,

But of ourselves we know not how

to live,

So Portune, like a master, rod in hand,

Eaps our pates well

to teach us

how

to live

389.

Nor you nor

I

can read the etern decree,

To that enigma we can They But,

if

387.

talk of

find

you and me hehind the

that veil be lifted, where are

C. L. A. B.

I. J.

L.

veil,

we f

Compare the chorus

Oedipus Coloneus. 388,

no key

Fortune's buffets.

in the


OMAR KHAYYAM.

^yf Jib

veil

non.

jjj

Op-^

We

(jl

jo^

C. L. A. I. J. Meaning, are part of the of phenomena, which hides the Divine Noume" If that be swept away what becomes of us ?

'389.

"

&^

261


THE QUATKAINS OF

262

390.

Love, for ever doth heaven's wheel design

To take away thy precious Sit

we upon

life,

this turf, 'twill

and mine

not be long

my dust,

Ere turf shall grow upon

and thine!

391.

When life

has

fled,

and we

rest in the

They'll place a pair of bricks to

And, a while

To furnish

after,

forth

tomb,

mark our tomb

mould our dust

to bricks,

some other person's tomb 392.

Yon

palace, towering to the welkin blue,

Where kings

did

bow them down, and homage

do,

I

saw a ringdove on

And

thus she

made

its

arches perched,

complaint, "Coo Coo, Coo,

Coo!" 390.

L. N. B.

391.

L. N. A.

392.

C. L.

I.

N. A.

I.

J.

Mr. Binning found

this


OMAR KHAYYAM.

yj^^<

^

j3 J

yJ

d^l^^4.

^

^X^ eJb (jU vb

eJl^

J

vXc^ (Jj^

Where

^j^

\S

I

quatrain inscribed on the ruins of Persepolis. '^

^-'

LfJo^'i

n

Coo (Aw) means

263

are they

?

"

Fitzgerald.


THE QUATRAINS OF

264

393.

We

come and

And

spin

go,

but for the gain, where

is it ?

woof, but for the warp, where

life's

is

it?

And many

a righteous

man

has burned to

dust

In heaven's blue rondure, but their smoke,

where

is it ?

394. Life's well-spring lurks

Let not the cup's

Beshrew me, Tor who

is

if

lip

within that

touch that

lip of thine!

lip of

thine

I fail to drink his blood,

Up of thine

he, to touch that

?

395.

Such

Thy

as I

am, Thy power created me,

care hath kept

Through If

is

all

my

sins or

J393.

C. L.

me

for a century

these years I

Thy mercy

N. A. B.

I. J.

make experiment,

greater be.

So

Ecclesiastes,

"There

no remembrance of the wise, more than of the

" Smoke/'

i.e. trace.

fool/''


OMAR KHAYYAM.

(J^l^

»J

jj

265

(^lXj^ ~5* -;-^

L_J jv>j^

-^iL/o

Ojj^

^;;JLS

N. A.

394.

C. L.

395.

C. L. N. A.

\1

I. J. I.

J.

To

vJI->l>:>

^Jo

Jr^ j-^

U->1

l5i

&^=D oi

a sweetheart.

God's long-suffering.


THE QUATRAINS OP

266

396. *'

Take up thy cup and

goblet, Love," I said,

"Haunt purling river bank, and Eull many a moon-like form

grassy glade;

has heaven's

wbeel Oft into cup, oft into goblet,

made!"

397.

We buy new wine And

sell for

and

old,

two grains

our cups to

fill,

good and

this world's

ill;

Know you where you

will go to after death ?

Set wine before me, and go where you will

398.

Was

e'er

man

born who never went astray ?

Did ever mortal pass a If I do

ill,

Evil for evil

396.

C. L.

397.

L.

differently.

N

sinless

day

do not requite with

how

can'st

N. A. B.

?

ill

!

Thou repay

?

I. J.

C. A.

I.

and

J. give lines

1

and 2


OMAR KHAYYAM.

U^

267

^^

t/^

^ o-^ ^ ^ d^

j\3

JU^

"^

i^

r=iv

^

398.

what

L.N. Lines

freely.

^^

3 and 4 are paraphrased some


THE QUATRAINS OP

268

399.

Bring forth that ruby gem of Badakhshan,

That heart's

They say But ah

!

delight, that 'tis

wrong

for

balm of Turkistdn

Musulmdns to

drink,

where can we find a Musulman

?

400.

My body's life and strength proceed from Thee My soul within and spirit are of Thee

My being is And I am

and Thou art mine,

of Thee,

Thine, since I

am

lost in

Thee

!

401.

Man, As

like a ball, hither

fate's resistless

and thither

goes,

bat directs the blows;

But He, who gives thee up to this rude

He knows what

drives thee, yea,

sport,

He knows, He

knows 399.

C. L.

400.

L.

N. A.

I. J.

" In him we

Some MSS. live

read lahdlaH.

and move, and have our

being."

401.

C. L. A.

I.

J.

Line 4

is

in metre 22, con-


OMAE

KHAYYA:\r.

^

269

^

^

p

j^

Jobj^

sistiug of ten syllables, all long-.

ddnad p. 10.

Js!>bj\ The

Jobji

ali/s after

are treated as ordinary consonants.

Bl.,

each

Prosody,


THE QUATRAINS OP

270

402.

O Thou who And

givest sight to

strength to

To Thee we

And

puny limhs

will ascribe

emmet's eyes, of feehle

flies,

Almighty power,

not base unbecoming qualities.

403.

Let not base avarice enslave thy mind,

Nor vain ambition

Be sharp

as

fire,

in its trammels bind as running water swift.

Not, like earth's dust, the sport of every wind

!

404. 'Tis best all

other blessings to forego

Por wine, that charming Turki maids bestow Kalandars' raptures pass

all

things that are,

From moon on high down unto 402.

L,

An

;

fish

below

!

echo of the Asliarians' discussions on

the Divine attributes.

403.

L. C. A.

404.

C. L. N. A. B.

I. J. I.

J.

For

viai L. reads hahl(,


OMAR KHAYYAM.

probably a Sufi gloss. Prosody, p. 11.

In

line

4 scan mastiyy-6.

Kalandars, bibulous Sufis.

whereon the earth was said to

271

rest.

Bl.,

Fish, that


THE QUATRAINS OF

272

405.

Priend Let

!

trouble not yourself about your

futile care

Since this

and sorrow be forgot

life's

What matters

lot,

vesture crumbles into dust.

word

stain of

or deed, or blot

?

406.

thou who hast done

And thinkest Hope not

to find

for

and

mercy

mercy

Cannot be done, nor

ill,

!

evil

for

ill

alone,

at the throne,

good

left

undone

done undone

407.

Count not

To walk

And

to live

beyond your

sixtieth year,

in jovial courses persevere

;

ere your skull be turned into a cup.

Let wine-cups ever to your hand adhere

405.

L. N.

406.

N. A.

I.

This quatrain

is

by

Abu

!

Sa'id

Abu '1


OMAR KHAYYAM.

1

:>^-3

j^jb

Kliuir; ui)d

U

Avict'iinu.

is

*

&^

23^\j c;^^

an auswcr

&a5o ^5C« ^i^ ji

iyf 6::i^ ^:>'

to

273

iS'u.

^^,.^^13

42U, which 407.

it>

atti-ibuted

L. N. B.

T


THE QUATRAINS OF

274

408.

These heavens resemble an inverted cup,

Whereto the wise with awe keep gazing up So stoops the bottle

Eeigning to

kiss,

o'er his love, the cup,

and gives her blood to sup

409. I

sweep the tavern threshold with

Por both worlds' good and Should the two worlds

ill

my hair,

I take no care;

roll to

my

house, like

balls,

When

drunk, for one small coin I'd pair

sell

the

1

410.

The drop wept

Eut the "

sea smiled, for " I

The Truth

'i'hat

is all,

am

N. A. B.

C. L.

41)9.

L. N. B.

scanned

as

from the

sea,

all," said he,

nothing exists beside,

one point circling apes

408.

j^ii,

for his severance

I.

In lines trochee,

plurality.*'

Blood, au ^3

emblem

and 4 note Gui,

monosyllable,

and

of hate. huj/,

and

iambus


OMAR KHAYYAM.

cjyj ^^j^J ^^^

h^<jS\

2:>IjL3^

(j^

&jl_i.

^1

j6L«

C^l >>..)

j^j

s-*^

A^lisr.'*

j-^

.

.

iUi^ A>^^^=^ &liiu5o

respectively.

ilO.

Gvlshan

N. i

275

f'

<-^jj^

<—*^

r^

/^

Lf^

....

^^^j\

CJJ

Bl.. Prosody, p. 12.

This

is

in

Hdz, line 710.

Ramal metre. No.

50.

Compare


THE QUATRAINS OF

276

411. Shall I

still

what

I

have not

try with cheerfulness to bear

Or

Fill lip I

sigh for

my

cup

!

now am drawing

I is

know not

my

my

if

last, or

got, lot ?

the breath

not

I

412.

Yield not to

No

call

grief,

though fortune prove unkind,

sad thoughts of parted friends to mind;

Devote thy heart to sugary Cast not thy precious

life

lips,

and wine,

unto the wind

!

413.

Of mosque and prayer and

fast

preach not to

me, Rather go drink, were

it

on charity

Yea, drink, Khayyam, your dust will soon be

made

A jug, 4-11.

or pitcher, or a cup,

C. L. N. A. B.

quatrain under Uadif Ya. 412.

L. N. B.

I. J.

may

be

!

Some MSS.

place this


OMAR KHAYYAM.

iiXc

413, N.

:i\>

" Imperial

jjlsXi J6^

Caesar, dead,

277

^5'

,

i.^W

and turned to

clay,

Mig-ht stop a hole to keep the wind away.


THE QUATEAINS OF

278

414.

Bulbuls, doting on roses, oft complain

How Sit

froward breezes rend their veils in twain

we beneath this rose, which many

a time

Has sunk to earth, and sprung from earth again. 415.

Suppose the world goes well with you, what

then?

When

page

life's last

then

is

read and turned, what

?

Suppose you

live a

hundred years of

bliss.

Yea, and a hundred years besides, what then

?

416.

How is it

that of

Cypress and

lily

all

the leafy tribe.

men

as " free " describe?

This has a dozen tongues, yet holds her peace,

That has a hundred hands which take no bribe.

414.

L. N. B.

415.

C. L.

416.

L. N.

So Moschus on the mallows.

N. A.

I. J.

Banda,

see Vullers, p. 100.

Sa'di in the Gulistan,

Book

viii.,

gives


OMAR KHAYYAM.

27!'

Flo

ilSjS^^^ij

Ca^3

Jco

another explanation of this expression.

mens, and hands, branches."

:>J\^

^\^

" Tongues, sta-


THE QUATRAINS OP

280

417.

Cupbearer

my wine-cup, let me grasp it

bring

!

Bring that delicious darling,

let

me

grasp

it!

That pleasing chain which tangles in its

Wise men and

fools together, let

me

grasp

coils it

I

418.

Alas

my

!

wasted

What with

And And

life

has gone to wrack

!

forbidden meats, and lusts, alack

!

leaving undone what 'twas right to do,

doing wrong,

my

face is very black

419. I

could repent of

all,

I could dispense with If so be I

Could

became

I abjure

117.

L. N.

418.

C. L.

a

but of wine, never all,

!

but with wine, never

!

Musulman,

my Magian

wine? no, never

!

Bijjechand seems a plural of dignity.

N, A.

I.

JIardm, the predicate of lakniu.

These whimsical outbursts of self-reproach in the midst


OMAR KHAYYAM.

^.^ Oc^."^.^^^j

_^^

281

i^i

^

of antinomian utterances are characteristic of

4iy.

L.

N.

The Maofiaus

sold wiue.

U^

Khayyam.


THE QUATEAINS

282

420.

We

our hopes on

rest

Nor seek by merits

free grace alone,

our sins to atone

for

Mercy drops where 111

Thy

it lists,

;

and estimates

done as undone, good undone

as done.

421.

This

the form

is

Thou gavest me

of old,

Wherein Thou workest marvels manifold

Can

I aspire to be a better

Or other than

I issued

man,

from Thy mould

?

422.

Lord

!

to

Thee

all

creatures worship pay,

To Thee both small and great

Thou

takest

Give then, 420.

woe away, and

or, if it

L. N. A.

for ever pray.

I.

please Thee, take

This quatrain

the celebrated philosopher Avicenna.

421.

C. L. N. A.

givest weal,

I.

This

is

is

away

!

also ascribed to

See No. 40G.

a variation of No. 221.


OMAR KHAYYAM.

283

FT

^^^^j

^0.^

422.

J L.

uU^

U

J^>|^

u^i?=^

^^ ^^ c:^

A

•'..A

6^^ y ^j

J

^

^ca,nbandagi{a,om\ii{x\gfatha\ieioYete.

Vullers, p. 197.


THE QUATRAINS OF

384

423.

With going

Thou

art

Thy

to

and

^

fro in this sad vale

grown double, and thy

credit stale,

nails are thickened like a horse's hoof,

Thy beard

is

ragged as an

ass's tail.

424 unenlightened race of humankind,

Ye

empty wind

are a nothing, built on

!

Yea, a mere nothing, hovering in the abyss,

A

void before you, and a void behind

425.

Each morn

I say, "

To-night

I will

repent

Of wine, and tavern haunts no more frequent ;" But while To

loose

me

and roses are in bloom,

spring,

'tis

from

my

423.

C. L. A.

I. J.

424.

C. L. A.

I.

J.

promise,

A

O

consent

description of old age.

The

between two non-existences

technical is

name

Talcwin.

for existence

Bl.

Ain

i


OMAR KHAYYAM.

^•V-i-J

^&!>

Akbart,

p.

applied to

43».

198.

^5 fo'^^T^ M^sVo

>sji>

(J Wo

Compare

j3

y

the

term

Time by the Sehoohiieu. C. L. A.

I.

285

J.

:ij^

\

d-s-CU

lJ^L^

" fiunc

starts,'


THE QUATRAINS OF

286

426.

\

Vain study of philosophy eschew Rather

tangled curls attract your view

let

And shed Or

!

the bottle's life-blood in your cup,

death shed your blood, and feast on

e'er

you. 427.

O

heart

Where

!

can'st thou the

wisest

darksome riddle read,

men have

failed,

wilt

thou

succeed ?

Quaff wine, and make thy heaven here below,

Who knows if heaven

above will be thy meed?

428.

They that have passed away, and gone

before,

Sleep in delusion's dust for evermore

Go, boy, and fetch some wine, this is the truth. Their dogmas were but 426.

C. L. N. A. B.

you should eschew. 427.

C. L.

air,

I. J.

^^

N. A. B.

1. J.

and wind their lore Bigorezi

di,

" better that


OMAR KHAYYAM.

287

^'

^J^-J'

^'^

C^

JJLi

c5\ 0^^\

&'JJis^

jj^

LT'j"^ j^

^

i'lS.

my

C. L.

heart to

N. A.

B.

I. J.

j^

So Ecclesiasles, "

know wisdom .... and

also is vanity.^'

Cill=^

I

gave

perceived that this


THE QUATPwAINS OF

288

429.

heart

when on

!

the Loved One's sweets you

feed,

You lose

yourself, yet find

your Self indeed

;

And, when you drink of His entrancing cup,

You

hasten your escape from quick and dead

!

430.

Though

Why

I

am wont

a wine-hibber to be,

should the people

Would that

rail

and chide at

all evil actions

me ?

made men drunk,

For then no sober people should

I see

431.

Child of four elements and sevenfold heaven.

Who fume and Drink!

I

sweat because of these eleven,

have told you seventy times and

seven,

Once gone, nor

hell will

send you back, nor

heaven.

429.

C. L.

your true p. a75.

N. A.

self.

See

I. J.

Max

Die to Miiller,

self,

to live in

God,

Hibbert Lecturer,


OMAR KHAYYAM.

O

^L

>..

t .x )

wO

l/^ J

289

r^

{^\

MJ^ y>'

J^ ^^^

J:> Lfl

&^=6i

430.

C. N. A.

431.

C. L. N. A. I. J.

I. J.

c5^


THE QUATRAINS OF

290

\ 432.

my

With many a snare Thou

dost beset

And

therein, to slay

threatenest,

Thy rule Imputest

if I fall

resistless

sin,

when

way,

sways the world, yet Thou I do but obey

433.

To Thee, whose essence Our

sins

baffles

and righteous deeds

May Thy

human thought,

alike

seem naught

grace sober me, though drunk with

sins.

And pardon

all

the

ill

that I have wrought

434. If this

life

were indeed an empty play.

Each day would be an

'Id or festal day,

And men might conquer

all their

hearts

desire,

Tearless of after penalties to pay

i

hakiki, the only

real agent, according' to the Sufi view.

HuJoni tu kmii,

432.

B. N.

Allah

is

" Thou givest thy order," 433.

L. N.

the Fd'il

Should we read hukme?


OMAR KHAYYAM.

Lf^y

434).

N.

but I think I

Bdz,

p. 50.

J^^ ltI^

N. takes faJcUd it

in

?ir^

the sense of

alludes to Koran, xxix. 64.

291

U^J^

"

authonty/-*

See Gulshan


THE QUATEAINS OF

292

\ 435.

O

my

you thwart

wheel of heaven,

heart's

desire,

And

The water that

And

my scanty joy's

rend to shreds

I drink

turn the very

air I

you

attire,

foul with earth,

breathe to

fire

436. soul

could you but doff this flesh and bone,

!

You'd soar a

sprite about the heavenly throne

Had you no shame

And dwell an

alien

to leave

on

your starry home..

this earthy zone ?

437.

Ah,

hand

potter, stay thine

Put not See,

to

!

with ruthless art

such base use man's mortal part!

thou art mangling on thy cruel wheel

Faridun's fingers, and Kai Khosrau's heart!

435.

C. L.

N. A.

436.

C. L.

]Sr.

437.

C. L.

N. A.

I.

B. A. I.

I.

Faridun and Kai Khosrau were


OMAR KHAYYAM.

293

pro

^CiJlj^

&-ljk^ J:>

L5y^ ClJ^

^^iii-

'j^ Lf\

>»^ J

^^

Frv

ancient kings of Persia. fied

with Cyrus.

Kai Khosrau

is

usually identi-


^

THE QUATRAINS OF

294

438.

O

rose

all

!

As wine

beauties' cliarms thou dost excel,

excels the pearl within

fortune

More

!

its shell

thou dost ever show thyself

strange, although I

seem

to

know thee

well!

439.

From

this world's kitchen crave not to obtain

Those

dainties,

seeming

Which greedy

real,

but really vain,

worldlings gorge to their

own

loss

Eenounce that

loss,

so loss shall prove thy gain I

440. Plot not of nights, thy fellows' peace to blight.

So that they cry to God the live-long night

Nor plume thee on thy wealth and might, which thieves

May

steal

438.

N.

by night, or death, or fortune's might. Mimdni, You resemble.

439.

L. N. B.

440.

N.

Td bar nikashand " Let

us abstain from


OMAR KHAYYAM.

ij^-^

Lf^

:y^

^V J*^ ^ J* ^j

&^

^

oppressing people, so that they saying,

Lord."

295

cjbj

may

^jj^

not heave a sigh,


THE QUATRAINS OF

296

441.

This soul of mine was once

Thy

cherished bride,

What caused Thee to divorce her from Thy side? Thou

Why

didst not nse to treat her thus of yore,

then

now doom

her in the world to abide?

442.

Ah would there were a place of rest from pain, Which we, poor pilgrims, might at last attain, And after many thousand wintry years, !

Renew our

life,

like flowers,

and bloom again

443.

While in

love's

book

I

sought an augury

An ardent youth cried out in "Who owns a sweetheart

;

ecstacy,

beauteous as the

moon,

Might wish

his

441.

L. N.

442.

C. N. A.

moments long

I.

J.

read rawe and some rake.

In

as years to be!"

line 2, for basar

some MSS.


OMAR KHAYYAM.

^^:*~^'

JJD j(

d\i Ji jl

JU _jy,

giliancB."

mahlyyo.

--^^^

'^

'^^

3^

^"i

C53jJ (JJO/c^ ji Jo^i ^W^-^

^J^

JU U^ 443.

V

297

C. L.

^

N. A.

Line 4

is

I.

_5

vx*

J^jilo

^^

^

Compare the " sortes Fir-

freely paraphrased.

Bl., Prosody, p.

uU^jb

1 1.

In

line 4, scan


THE QUATKAINS OF

298

444.

Winter

is

past,

and spring-tide has begun,

Soon will the pages of

Well

And

saitli

life's

book be done

the sage, " Life

is

!

a poison rank,

antidote, save grape-juice, there

is

none."

445.

Beloved,

if

thou a reverend Molla be.

Quit saintly show, and feigned austerity,

And

And

quaff the wine that Murtaza purveys.

sport with Houris 'neath

some shady tree

!

446.

Last night I dashed

In a

mad drunken

And

"You

lo

!

cup against a stone.

freak, as I

must own,

the cup cries out in agony,

too, like

me, shall soon be overthrown."

N. A. I. J. Note the chang-e from the imperative

444.

C. L.

445.

N.

aorist.

my

In line 4 scan Muriazdsim,

Murtaza

to the

(Ali) is


OMAR KHAYYAM.

c/^ j^

cir^^

jy^^

,5

299

L^

J^ ^'

the celestial cupbearer.

446. to the

0. L,

N. A.

B.

I.

Sahoyly^ yoj

i

noun by euphonic or conjunctive yd.

batni, joined


THE QUATRAINS OP

300

447.

My

heart

is

weary of hypocrisy,

Cupbearer, bring some wine, I beg of thee

This hooded cowl and prayer-mat

!

pawn

for

wine,

Then

will I boast

me

in security.

448.

Audit yourself, your true account to frame, See

!

you go empty,

You

say,

*'

as

I will not

you empty came drink and peril

But, drink or no, you must die

all

life,"

the same

!

449.

Open

the door

entrance

!

who

procurest,

Thou of guides the surest

And guide the way, Directors born of

men

shall not direct

Their counsel comes to naught, endurest

447.

N.

448.

C. L.

me,

but Thou

1

N. A.

I.

In

I

line 2, scan dwardiyo.


OMAR KHAYYAM.

^j3 419.

C.

^uXJob

L. N. A.

301

J ojI ^Ij ^L^ (jl^^ I. J.

In

line

dissolving the letter of prolongation,

4, scan ?/d.

fdmj/and,


THE QUATRAINS OF

802

450.

In slandering and reviling you

me

Calling

My

infidel

and

persist.

atheist

errors I will not deny, but yet

Does foul abuse become a moralist

?

451.

To

find a remedy, put

up with

pain,

Chafe not at woe, and healing thou wilt gain

Though

poor, be ever of a thankful mind,

'Tis the sure

method

riches to obtain.

452.

Give

A

me

pittance bare, a book of verse to read

With I

a skin of wine, a crust of bread,

love, to share

thee,

my

;

lowly

roof,

would not take the Sultan's realm instead 450.

C. L.

!

In line 1, scan goyi-yaz^ N. A. I. The tashdid of muhirr is dropped.

Bl., Prosody, p. 10.

451.

L.N.

TJawdyiy.

The

first

y a is

the conjunctive


OMAR KHAYYAM.

^ r^

^^J r> ^>

^13 (^.oj J Job Ju^

ya (Vullers, 452.

p. 16),

N. B.

303

the second,

yd

Tange, the izufat

tankxr, according to Lurasden,

ii.

i

cir-

j^

tanhir.

is

269.

displaced

by ya

[Sed quare].

i


THE QUATRAINS OF

304

453.

Reason not of the

Be

nor of the four,

five,

their dark problems one, or

many

score

We are but earth, go, minstrel, bring the lute, We are but air, bring wine, I ask no more 454.

Why

argue on Ydsin and on Bardt

Write

me the draft for

The day

my

Will seem to

wine they

weariness

me

is

?

call

Barat

drowned in wine

as the great night Barat

455.

Whilst thou dost wear this fleshly

livery,

Step not beyond the bounds of destiny

Bear up, though very Bustams be thy

And

crave no boon from friends like

453. this.

454.

N.

C. L. A.

I. J.

give only the

foes,

Hatim Tai first

!

line of

Five senses, four elements. C. L.

N. A.

I.

J.

Yasin

is

the 64th, and


OMAR KHAYYAM.

(Joy

Alilis^.'*^

Bardt the 9th, chapter of

tlie

of power/'

455.

C. L. N. A.

I. J.

305

U OJ^

Koran.

H^ ^jjlj

Bard^, the " nio-ht


THE QUATRAINS OF

300

456. Tliese ruby lips,

And

lute,

and wine, and minstrel boys,

and harp, your dearly cherished

toys,

Are mere redundancies, and you are naught. Till

you renounce the

\yorId's delusive joys.

457.

33ow down, heaven's tyranny to undergo, Quaff wine to face the world, and

Your

origin

and end are both in

But now you are above

woe

all its

earth,

earth, not below

!

458.

You know all

Why

secrets of this earthly sphere.

then remain a prey to empty fear ?

You cannot bend things Cheer up 4-56.

for the

L. N.

prunello."

to

your

will,

but yet

few moments you are here

!

Ilashw, mere "stuffing," "leather or


OMAR KHAYYAM.

,^W^

Cii^^i^^

307

^^

CDJ ^*S

l^CA

Cij^^

c/-^ ^^

U'^*-^ Ciri)^ LT*^^

N. A.

457.

C. L.

458.

C. L. N. A.

I.

lA^

J.

I. J.

Scan chun

loaliifujdij.


THE QUATRAINS OF

308

459.

Behold, where'er

we turn our

ravished eyes,

Sweet verdure springs, and crystal Kausars

And

once bare as

plains,

hell,

now

rise

smile as

heaven

Enjoy

this

heaven with maids of Paradise

!

460.

Never in

this false

world on friends

rely,

(I give this counsel confidentially,)

Put up with pain, and seek no antidote,

Endure your

grief,

and ask no sympathy

!

461.

Of wisdom's Surpassing

dictates

all

two are

principal.

your lore traditional

Better to fast than eat of every meat. Better to live alone than mate with

459.

C. L. N. A. B.

100.

N.

4G1.

N.

Iladis

i

I.

all

J.

nd goydyly.

The unwritten


OMAR KHAYYAM.

*^

^"Li^ ^ cu-J^

^^

revelations, or traditions, opposed

the " reading/'

So

to

309

^"ti?^ J^

Qur'dn (Koran),

sruti is opposed to smriti.


THE QUATRAINS OF

310

462.

Why

unripe grapes are sharp, prithee explain,

And then grow sweet, while wine is sharp again?

When

one has carved a block into a

Can he from

lute,

same block a pipe obtain ?

that

463.

When dawn

doth silver the dark firmament,

Why

the bird of dawning his lament

It

How

shrills is

to

show

?

in dawn's bright looking-glass

of thy careless

life

a night

is

spent.

464.

Cupbearer, come

!

from thy full-throated ewer

Pour blood-red wine, the world's despite to cure

Where can

I find another friend like wine,

So genuine, so solacing, so pure

462.

L. N.

463.

C. L. N. A. I. J.

?

So Job, " Hast spread the


OMAR KHAYYAM. .

^1

lS^ Jj^ J'j'

^s

y)\'«-A'c

311

r

^j>

^j-'S

^ ^^

(J^5^

^ _p

«!'^-^*->

jj

Fir

j^l-o

(j;_^

*-~^

(jh^

sky as a molten looking-g-lass/' 4:6k

C. L. N. A.

I.

J.

j

iS^.t'^^^


THE QUATRAINS OF

312

465.

Though you should Or

rival Caesar

on

sit

in sage Aristo's room,

his throne of Eiim,

Drain Jamshed's goblet, for your end

*s

the

tomb, Yea, were you Bahram's

self,

your end's the

tomb

It

chanced into a potter's shop I strayed.

He turned his wheel and deftly plied his trade. And out of monarchs' heads, and beggars' feet,

Eair heads and handles for his pitchers made

!

467. If

you have

And

sense, true senselessness attain,

the Etern Cupbearer's goblet drain

If not, true senselessness is not for you,

Not every 465.

N.

Nushirwan.

fool true senselessness

Jamliur, a

name

can gain

of Buzurjimihr,

Faghfur, the Chinese emperor.

scan Arintmou, dissolving the long %.

Wazir of In Hne

1


OMAR KHAYYAM.

466.

C. N. L, A.

467.

L. N,

of ignorance.'' *

I. J.

PayÂŤ, ''the

313

treadle.'-'

Meaning-, the " truly mystical darkness

See Gulshan

i

Bd2,

p. 13.


THE QUATRAINS OP

314

468.

O Love And

before you pass death's portal through,

!

potters

make

Pour from

their jugs of

me and you,

some wine,

this jug

of headache

void,

And

your cup, and

fill

fill

my goblet

too

!

469.

Love

!

while yet you can, with tender

Lift sorrow's

burden from your

Your wealth of graces

But

slip

art,

lover's heart

will not

always

last,

from your possession, and depart

470. Bestir thee, ere death's cup for thee shall flow.

And

blows of ruthless fortune lay thee low

Acquire some substance here^ there

none

is

there^

For those who thither empty-handed go 468.

C. L,

N. A.

I. J.

wine of Paradise, Koran, 4G9.

C. L.

N. A.

Headache, in alhision to the

Ivi.

I. J.

!

17.

Some MSS.

read

zmhdr

for


OMAR KHAYYAM.

a^u

joUi

ciyi>

(^--=^

315

cL^^siU/c

(^r

c-w^ l^S^U lX^=0^j

\^\i \^^^ Ji

Ou^ JO iolc^

zinkdr, either will scan.

470. while

L. N.

it is

day.^'

Line 2

is in

metre 4.

Meaning-, "

Work


THE QUATRAINS OF

316

471.

Who

framed the

Thou

Who

lots of quick

and dead but

?

turns the troublous wheel of heaven but

Thou? Though we To blame us

are sinful slaves,

?

Who

is it

created us but

for

Thee

Thou?

472.

wine, most limpid, pure, and crystalline,

Would

drench this

I could

With

silly

frame of mine

passers

by might think

"Whence comest

thou, fair master

that

thee,

'twas thou,

And

cry,

wine?" 473.

A

Shaikh beheld a harlot, and quoth he,

"You seem a slave to drink and lechery;'' And she made answer, " What I seem I am, But, Master, are you

471.

L. N. A.

472.

L. N.

473.

L. N.

all

you seem

to

be ?"

I.

The

technical

name

of quatrains like


OMAR KHAYYAM.

this is siiioal

Rhetoric, p. 40.

jawab, or

;/^/^mya'a^.

317

Gladwin, Persian


THE QUATRAINS OF

318

474. If,

like a ball, earth to

When

drunk, I'd rate

my

it

liouse

were borne,

at a barley-corn

me

Last night they offered

in

pawn for

wine.

But the rude vintner laughed that pledge to scorn.

475.

Now

Thy

in thick clouds

face

Thou

dost im-

merse,

And now

display

Thou the

it

in this universe

Thou the

spectator,

Sole to Thyself

Thy

spectacle,

glories dost rehearse,

476.

Better to

make one

Than plant a

soul rejoice with glee,

desert with a colony

;

Eather one freeman bind with chains of love,

Than 474,

set a

C. L.

'kuye,juyc,

475.

thousand prisoned captives free

C.

N. A.

I.

J.

Note the yas

i

tanldr in

and girnyc. L.

N. A.

I.

J.

Compare the Vulgate,


OMAR KHAYYAM.

319

f-vf-

P vo

" ludens in orhe terranun," and Galshan 476.

L. N.

i

lldz, p. 1

1.


THE QUATRAINS OP

320

477.

thou who

A

for

thy pleasure dost impart

pang of sorrow

Go

!

to thy fellow's heart,

mourn, thy perished wit, and peace of

mind, Thyself hast slain them, like the fool thou art

478.

Wherever you can get two maunds of wine, Set

to,

and drink

Whoso From

it like

a libertine

;

acts thus will set his spirit free like yours,

saintly airs

and grief

like

mine. 479. I possess

So long as

two maunds of wine,

Bread of the flower of wheat, and mutton chine.

And

you,

O

Tulip cheeks, to share

Not every Sultan's

N. A.

lot

477.

C. L.

478.

C. L. N. A. B.

me.'"

So

in

my hut.

can vie with mine.

I. J. I. J.

Clm mane, " of one

No. 170, (the note to which

is

like

wrong.)


OMAR KHAYYAM.

321

VV

^

o

o

j-^ &-^ (^b i^>j^

Jji5^

^3U

^:i

•VA

(,JJ^:

Vullers, p. 254.

479.

Literally,

C. L. N. A. B.

I.

''

mustaches aud beard."


THE QUATRAINS OF

322

480.

They

call

And an

you wicked,

intriguer, if

if

you

to

fame you're known,

live alone;

Trust me, though you w^ere Khizer or Elias, 'Tis best to

know

none, and of none be known.

481.

Yes

!

here

am

wine and feres again

I with

I did repent, but,

Preach not to

ah

me

'twas all in vain

!

of

Noah and

But pour a flood of wine

to

;

his flood,

drown

my

pain

482.

Eor union with

The pangs

My

my

love I sigh in vain.

of absence I can scarce sustain,

grief I dare not tell to

any friend

trouble strange, sweet passion, bitter pain!

N.

480.

C.

4.81.

C. L. N. A.

I.

I. J.

lance not to be repented

of.

Tdiiha Nicolas.

i

Nassuh, a repen-

In hue

2,

note the


OMAR KHAYYAM.

323

Pa|

L^y* lA?="

c^

^ir^ S?^^

J^'«

Izdfat dropped after silent he.

482.

N.

are rare in

These quatrains are called jirdkiya, and

Khayyam.


THE QUATRAINS OF

324

483. 'Tis

dawn

And

here

This

And

is

I hear the

!

am

loud Muezzin's

call,

I before the vintner's hall

no time

Be

for piety.

drop your talk and

still

airs devotional

484.

Angel of joyful

foot

Pour wine, and

lift

!

the

dawn

is

nigh

;

your tuneful voice on high,

Sing how Jamsheds and Khosraus bit the dust,

Whelmed by

the rolling months, from Tir to

Dai!

485.

Prown not For

all

at revellers, I

doomed

for,

to hell,

N. A.

483.

C. L.

484.

C. L. N. A.

tx'mber.

thee,

thou keepest righteous company

But drink, If

beg of

drink or no,

no heaven

'tis all

the same,

thou'lt ever see.

I. J. I.

Tir and Dai, April

and De-


OMAR KHAYYAM.

^JLj

ij\

Lf^

J^J^

l5>^ 485.

C. L.

N. A.

them there were, others

doomed

^ i^-'^

J^^J^

whom

to err."

^y^ (^^

uV^s;.'^

^i^

I. J.

325

j^ j\ b

Jtb^

Koran,

xvi.

38

^V :

"

Some

of

Allah guided, and there were


THE QUATRAINS OF

326

486.

wish that Allah would rebuild these

I

And

earth,

And Or

and that

either raze

else relieve

my

at once, before

my name

And bread unbegged

for

Yea, with thy wine

No more

eyes,

!

.

make thy bounty's cup

!

my

off his roll,

dire necessities

487.

Lord

from

skies,

for

me

to flow,

day by day bestow

make me

to feel the headache of

beside myself.

my woe

!

488.

Omar In

!

hell,

of burning heart, perchance to

and feed

Presume not

its bale-fires

burn

in thy turn.

to teach Allah clemency,

Eor who art thou

to teach, or

N. This rather "Nee Deus intersit/'' &c, 486.

487.

C. L.

N. A.

I. J.

488.

0. L.

N. A.

I. J.

he to learn?

sins ag-ainst Horace's canon,

The Persian

preface states


OMAR KHAYYAM.

C5Jo.r^^^ iSJ^

(J^^S^

327

^Ay^

(jbj^i

^

'^ ^

UJL/*^ ^^_j?" j^

Fav

Fa

that, after his death,

Omar

A

appeared to his mother in a

dream, and repeated this quatrain to line I

am

indebted to Mr. Fitzirerald.

her.

For the

htst


THE QUATRAINS OP

328

489.

Cheer up

your

!

Heedless of

Without

was

settled yesterday

that you might do or say,

all

so

lot

much

as "

By

your leave

"

they

fixed

Your

lot for all

the morrows yesterday

!

490. I never I

would have come, had

would as

lief

And, to be

not go,

if I

I

been asked,

were asked,

would annihilate

short, I

All coming, being, going, were I asked

491.

Man

is

Flesh

is

a cup, his soul the wine therein. a pipe, spirit the voice within

O Khayyam, have you fathomed what man is ?

A

magic lantern with a light therein

489.

C. L. A. B.

490.

C. L.

" Therefore

N.

I.

!

Predestination.

(in part)

A. B.

I hated hie/' &c.

I. J.

So the

Eeclesiast,


OMAR KHAYYAM.

^^

/C*-X^

491. is

C. A.

I.

Turanian

i*^v^i

-J

z-'

•J

We

LiT**^

329

Note

(Bl.,

?ne (for

Prosody,

pronounced with the Imdla

ww/) rhymiDg- with we

xvii.),

and probably

{ibid, p. v.), is

the same.

;

7ne,


THE QUATRAINS OF

330

492.

O

skyey wheel,

all

base

men you

supply

baths, mills, and canals that run not dry,

With

While good men have

to

pawn

their goods

for bread

who would

Pray,

give a fig for such a sky

?

493.

A

potter at his

work

I

chanced to

see,

Pounding some earth and shreds of pottery I

looked with eyes of insight, and methought

'Twas Adam's dust with which he made so free

!

494.

The Sdki knows my genus properly^ To

all

woe's species he holds a key

Whene'er

And

that

492.

which 493.

my mood

makes

B. L,

all

C. L. A.

I.

3, I

Line 4 J.

he brings

the difference to

In line

will not scan.

is sad,

;

me wine,

me

!

read nlh and for nViand, is

slightly paraphrased.

Note the arrangement of the


OMAR KHAYYAM.

(jyj ^^^y» :i^

^^

^^

^U

a>^

prepositions dar

494.

d:)b :>^>

....

C. L. A. I.

iJ^/rcV.

A play

Bl.,

Prosody,

331

eJl^

^j

3^

tj^

xiii.

on terms of Logic.


THE QUATEAINS OF

332

495.

Dame

Fortune

!

all

your acts and deeds confess

That you are foul oppression's votaress

You Is this

cherish bad men, and annoy the good

from dotage, or sheer foolishness

?

496.

You,

who

in carnal lusts

Wearing your precious

Know

your time employ,

spirit

with annoy,

that these things you set your heart

upon Sooner or later must the soul destroy

497.

Hear from the Creation

is

spirit

summed

world

up,

this

man,

mystery in thee

Angel and demon, man and beast Yea, thou art

all

art thou.

thou dost appear to be

495.

C. L. A. I. J.

496.

L.

In line

4,

!

Mu'falcif, a devotee.

L. writes arizuyl with two yas,

the second being reflexed under the

first.

Bl. (Prosody,


OMAR KIIAYVAM.

p. ?'

12)

approves this method.

333

The second ya

is

the

ya

hatni, after conjunctive ya.

497.

L.

Man,

iyllable short.

the

microcosm.

Line 2

Should we read Suhhdne ^

is

ona


THE QUATRAINS OP

334

498. If popularity

you Avould ensue,

Speak well of Moslem, Christian, and Jew

;

So shall you be esteemed of great and small,

And none

will venture to speak

ill

of you.

499.

wheel of heaven, what have I done to you,

That you should thus annoy me? Tell

To

And

me

true

get a drink I have to cringe and stoop, for

my

bread you

make me beg and

sue.

500.

No But

longer

hug your

grief

and vain

in this unjust world be just

And

and

since the issue of the world

Think you are naught, and care

498.

L.

499.

L.

Ahruy, 'honour.'

so

despair, fair is

naught,

shake

off dull


OMAR KHAYYAM.

(Sj^

^^S-

&>o\^

J

335

J^

.

500.

L. B.

Ill line

3 scan ntsatlijasl.

s^

^w

J^V^


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.^y-y'-^^,..j

:.

X'i-


Th )

f^

to

to V<

&

.40

u'^WA xapui Jan.,

IM

-"Pnn

•H r-l:

I

siua

tuoji

•-^

CO

g

•H

•H rS

9AOUI9J

HOU

o CO

^

d

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•H

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oiMoaoi JO AiisaaAiun



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