The Sufistic Quatrains of Omar KhayyamOmar Khayyam
ReligionSufism
The Sufistic Quatrains of Omar Khayyam
Omar Khayyam
FitzGerald, Edward, 1809-1883; Sufi poetry
These ruby lips, and wine, and minstrel boys,
And lute, and harp, your dearly cherished toys,
Are mere redundancies, and you are naught,
Till you renounce the world's delusive joys.
456. L. N. _Hashw_, mere «stuffing,» leather and prunella.
457.
Bow down, heaven's tyranny to undergo,
Quaff wine to face the world, and all its woe;
Your origin and end are both in earth,
But now you are _above_ earth, not _below_!
457. C. L. N. A. I. J.
458.
You know all secrets of this earthly sphere,
Why then remain a prey to empty fear?
You cannot bend things to your will, but yet
Cheer up for the few moments you are here!
458. C. L. N. A. I. J. Scan _chim wakifiyay_.
459.
Behold, where'er we turn our ravished eyes,
Sweet verdure springs, and crystal Kausars rise;
And plains, once bare as hell, now smile as heaven:
Enjoy this heaven with maids of Paradise!
459. C. L. N. A. B. I. J.
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!
460. N.
461.
Of wisdom's dictates two are principal,
Surpassing all your lore traditional;
Better to fast than eat of every meat,
Better to live alone than mate with all!
461. N. _Hadis i na goyayiy._ The unwritten revelations, or traditions,
opposed to _Qur'an_ (Koran), the «reading.» So _sruti_ is opposed to
_smriti_.
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 lute,
Can he from that same block a pipe obtain?
462. L. N.
463.
When dawn doth silver the dark firmament,
Why shrills the bird of dawning his lament?
It is to show in dawn's bright looking-glass
How of thy careless life a night is spent.
463. C. L. N. A. I. J. So Job, «Hast spread the sky as a molten
looking-glass.»
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?
464. C. L. N. A. I. J.
465.
Though you should sit in sage Aristo's room,
Or rival Cæsar on his throne of Rūm,
Drain Jemshid's goblet, for your end's the tomb,
Yea, were you Bahram's self, your end's the tomb!
465. N. _Jamhur_, a name of Buzurjimihr, _Wazir_ of Nushirwan.
_Faghfur_, the Chinese emperor.
466.
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,
Fair heads and handles for his pitchers made!
466. C. N. L. A. I. J. _Paya_, «the treadle.»
467.
If you have sense, true senselessness attain,
And the Etern Cupbearer's goblet drain,
If not, true senselessness is not for you,
Not every fool true senselessness can gain!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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