The Sufistic Quatrains Of Omar Khayyam Part 50

266.

They go away, and none is seen returning, To teach that other world's recondite learning; 'Twill not be shown for dull mechanic prayers, For prayer is naught without true heartfelt yearning.

266. C. L. N. A. I. The _formal_ prayers of Moslems are rather ascriptions of praise, and repet.i.tions of texts, than pet.i.tions.

267.

Go to! Cast dust on those deaf skies, who spurn Thy orisons and bootless prayers, and learn To quaff the cup, and hover round the fair; Of all who go, did ever one return?

267. C. L. N. A. B. I. J. An answer to the last.

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.

268. C. L. N. A. B. I. J. _Tauhid_, or Unitarianism, is the central doctrine of Islam. So Hafiz, Ode 465.

269.

Again to tavern haunts do we repair, And say Adieu to the five hours of prayer; Where'er we see a long-necked flask of wine, We elongate our necks that wine to share.

269. C. L. N. A. B. I. J. _Takbir_, or _tekbir_ the formula _Allah akbar_, in saying which the mind should be abstracted from worldly thoughts; hence renunciation. See Nicolas.

270.

We are but chessmen, destined, it is plain, That great chess-player, Heaven, to entertain; It moves us on life's chess-board to and fro, And then in death's dark box shuts up again.

270. L. N. B. _Hakikati_, see Bl., Prosody 3.

271.

You ask what is this life so frail, so vain, 'Tis long to tell, yet will I make it plain; 'Tis but a breath blown from the vasty deeps, And then blown back to those same deeps again!

271. C. L. N. A. I. J. Some MSS. read _naksh_. Deeps, _i.e._, the ocean of Not-being.

272.

To-day to heights of rapture have I soared, Yea, and with drunken Maghs pure wine adored; I am become beside myself, and rest In that pure temple, Am not I your Lord?

272. C. L. N. A. I. J. _Alas...o...b..rabbik.u.m_, Allah's words to Adam's sons: Koran vii. 171. So in Hafiz, Ode 43 (Brockhaus).

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 pa.s.sed, And said, Do good and cast it on the wave!

273. L. N. Meaning, hope not for a return to your love. _Nekuyey_, a good act, _ya_ conjunctive and _ya i tankir_, Vullers, p. 250.

274.

I put my lips to the cup, for I did yearn The hidden cause of length of days to learn; He leaned his lip to mine, and whispered low, Drink! for, once gone, you never will return.

274. C. L. A. B. I. J. Some MSS. give line 4 differently.

275.

We lay in the cloak of Naught, asleep and still, Thou said'st, Awake! taste the world's good and ill; Here we are puzzled by Thy strange command, From slanted jars no single drop to spill.

275. L. Naught, _i.e._, Not-being. See note to No. 183.

276.

O Thou! who know'st the secret thoughts of all, In time of sorest need who aidest all, Grant me repentance, and accept my plea, O Thou who dost accept the pleas of all!

276. C. L. N. A. I. J. Note _tashdid_ on _rabb_ dropped.

277.

I saw a bird perched on the walls of Tus, Before him lay the skull of Kai Kawus, And thus he made his moan, Alas, poor king!

Thy drums are hushed, thy 'larums have rung truce.

277. C. L. N. A. Tus was near Nishapur.

278.

Ask not the chances of the time to be, And for the past, 'tis vanished, as you see; This ready-money breath set down as gain, Future and past concern not you or me.

278. C. L. N. A. I. J. In line 1 note _izafat_ dropped after silent _he_. Compare Horace's Ode to Leuconoe.

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 a.s.say with touchstone, no, not one!

279. L. The vanity of science.