The Sufistic Quatrains Of Omar Khayyam Part 51

[Ill.u.s.tration: _SUFI MYSTICS GATHERED FOR MEDITATION_ _From an old painting by a Pushtu artist_]

280.

I pray thee to my counsel lend thine ear, Cast off this false hypocrisy's veneer; This life a moment is, the next all time, Sell not eternity for earthly gear!

280. C. L. N. A. B. I. Note _ra_ separated from its noun, as before.

Vullers, p. 173.

281.

Ofttimes I plead my foolishness to Thee, My heart contracted with perplexity; I gird me with the Magian zone, and why?

For shame so poor a Musulman to be.

281. C. L. N. A. I. J. In line 1 scan _nadaniyi_, dissolving the long _ya_.

282.

Khayyam! rejoice that wine you still can pour, And still 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!

282. C. L. N. A. B. I. J.

283.

Once, in a potter's shop, a company Of cups in converse did I chance to see, And lo! one lifted up his voice, and cried, Who made, who sells, who buys this crockery?

283. C. L. N. A. B. I. J. Men's speculations.

284.

Last night, as I reeled from the tavern door, I saw a sage, who a great wine-jug bore; I said, O Shaikh, have you no shame? Said he, Allah hath boundless mercy in his store.

284. C. L. N. A. I. J. _Sar mast_, a compound, hence _izafat_ omitted.

_Saboyey, hamza_ (for conjunctive _ya_) followed by _ya i tankir_. See Lumsden, ii. 269.

285.

Life's fount is wine, Khizir its guardian, I, like Elias, find it where I can, 'Tis sustenance for heart and spirit too, Allah himself calls wine a boon to man.

285. C. L. N. A. I. J. Koran, ii. 216. Elias discovered the water of life.

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!

286. C. L. N. A. I. J. To spill a drop is a sign of liberality.--Nicolas.

287.

Although the creeds number some seventy-three, I hold with none but that of loving Thee; What matter faith, unfaith, obedience, sin?

Thou'rt all we need, the rest is vanity.

287. N. See note on Quatrain 194. Forms of faith are indifferent. See _Gulshan i Raz_, p. 83.

288.

Tell one by one my scanty virtues o'er; As for my sins, forgive them by the score; Let not my faults kindle Thy wrath to flame; By blest Muhammad's tomb, forgive once more!

288. L. N. B. _Rasul-ullah_: the construction being Arabic, _izafat_ is needed. Lumsden, ii. p. 251. Also ascribed to Zahir ud-din Faryabi.

289.

Grieve not at coming ill, you can't defeat it, And what far-sighted person goes to meet it?

Cheer up! bear not about a world of grief, Your fate is fixed, and grieving will not cheat it.

289. L. Line 2 is a question.

290.

There is a chalice made with wit profound, With tokens of the Maker's favour crowned; Yet the world's Potter takes his masterpiece, And dashes it to pieces on the ground!

290. C. L. A. I. J. So Job, Is it good unto Thee that Thou shouldest despise the labour of Thine hands?

291.

In truth wine is a spirit thin as air, A limpid soul in the cup's earthen ware; No dull, dense person shall be friend of mine Save wine-cups, which are dense and also rare.

291. L. N. B. _Layik . man izafat_ omitted because of the intervening words. Lumsden, ii. 250.

292.

O wheel of heaven! no ties of bread you feel, No ties of salt, you flay me like an eel!

A woman's wheel spins clothes for man and wife, It does more good than you, O heavenly wheel!