The Sufistic Quatrains Of Omar Khayyam Part 17

For IS and IS-NOT though with Rule and Line And UP-AND-DOWN by Logic I define, Of all that one should care to fathom, I Was never deep in anything but--Wine.

This quatrain is translated from O. 120:

I know the outwardness of existence and non-existence,[66]

I know the inwardness of all that is high and low; Nevertheless let me be ashamed of[67] my own knowledge If I recognise any degree higher than drunkenness.

_Ref._: O. 120, L. 523, B. 518, S.P. 299, P. 265, B. ii. 409, P. v.

38.--W. 336, N. 300, V. 563.

LVII.*

Ah, but my Computations, People say, Reduced the Year to better reckoning?--Nay, 'Twas only striking from the Calendar Unborn To-morrow and dead Yesterday.

This quatrain owes its inspiration to C. 381 and O. 20, ll. 3 and 4:

My enemies erroneously have called me a philosopher,[68]

G.o.d knows I am not what they have called me; But, as I have come into this nesting place of sorrow, In the end I am in a still worse plight, for I know not who I am.

_Ref._: C. 381, L. 580, B. 573, B. ii. 383, T. 259.--W. 350, V. 619.

Never has grief lingered in my mind concerning two days,[69]

The day that has not yet come, and the day that is past.

_Ref._: O. 20, C. 23 and 55, L. 84, S.P. 22, B. 80, P. 162, B. ii. 24 and 88, P. ii. 2, T. 22 and 305, P. v. 140 and 186.--W. 26, N. 22 and 42, V. 83.

LVIII.

And lately, by the Tavern Door agape, Came shining through the Dusk an Angel Shape Bearing a vessel on his Shoulder; and He bid me taste of it; and 'twas--the Grape!

This quatrain is a refined version of C. 297.

Yesterday, whilst drunk, I was pa.s.sing a tavern, I saw a drunken old man bearing a vessel on his shoulder.

I said, Old man, does not G.o.d make thee ashamed?

He replied, G.o.d is merciful, go, drink wine!

_Ref._: C. 297, L. 462, B. 458, S.P. 243, P. 278, T. 197.--W. 284, N.

244, V. 501.

LIX.

The Grape that can with Logic absolute The Two-and-Seventy jarring Sects confute; The sovereign Alchemist that in a trice Life's leaden metal into Gold trans.m.u.te;

This quatrain is translated from O. 77.

Drink wine, that will banish thine abundant woes.

And will banish thought of the Seventy-two Sects; Avoid not the Alchemist,[70] from whom Thou takest one draught, and he banishes a thousand calamities.

_Ref._: O. 77, C. 165, L. 305, B. 301, S.P. 179, P. 283, T. 112, P. v.

152.--W. 194, V. 308.

LX.

The mighty Mahmud, Allah-breathing Lord, That all the misbelieving and black Horde Of Fears and Sorrows that infest the Soul Scatters before him with his whirlwind Sword.

This reference to Mahmoud the Ghasnavide, who made war upon the black infidels of Hindostan, comes from an apologue in the Mantik ut-tair of Ferid ud din Attar, (beginning at distich 3117). The last two lines come from O. 81, ll. 3 and 4.

Praise be to G.o.d! thou realizest that wine Is a juice that frees thy heart from a hundred pains.

_Ref._: O. 81, C. 180, L. 367, B. 363, S.P. 188, P. 231, B. ii. 241, P.

v. 187.--W. 203, N. 188, V. 366.

LXI.*

Why, be this Juice the growth of G.o.d, who dare Blaspheme the twisted tendril as a Snare?

A Blessing, we should use it, should we not?

And if a Curse--Why, then, Who set it there?

The inspiration for this quatrain is contained in O. 75.

I drink wine, and everyone drinks who, like me, is worthy of it; My wine-drinking is but a small thing to Him; G.o.d knew on the Day of Creation, that I should drink wine; If I do not drink wine G.o.d's knowledge would be ignorance.

_Ref._: O. 75, C. 202, L. 356, B. 352, S.P. 182, P. 324, B. ii. 234, T.

129, P. v. 181.--W. 197, N. 182, V. 355.

LXII.*

I must abjure the Balm of Life, I must, Scared by some After-reckoning ta'en on trust, Or lured with Hope of some Diviner Drink, To fill the Cup--when crumbled into Dust!

This quatrain is taken from C. 505 and O. 143, ll. 3 and 4.

They say, Do not drink wine for thou wilt suffer for it, On the Day of Rewards thou wilt be cast into the fire.

That is so; but what is worth both the worlds Is the moment when thou art elated with wine.

_Ref._: C. 505, L. 748, B. 734, P. 250, B. ii. 587.--V. 800.

Make thyself a heaven here with wine and cup, For at that place where heaven is, thou mayst arrive, or mayst not.

_Ref._: O. 143, C. 495. L. 733, B. 721, S.P. 379, P. 209, B. ii. 529, P.

v. 129.--W. 427, N. 383, V. 786.

LXIII.