The Sufistic Quatrains Of Omar Khayyam Part 59

Since all man's business in this world of woe Is sorrow's pangs to feel, and grief to know, Happy are they that never come at all, And they that, having come, the soonest go!

387. C. L. A. B. I. J. Compare the chorus in the dipus Coloneus.

388.

By reason's dictates it is right to live, But of ourselves we know not how to live, So Fortune, like a master, rod in hand, Raps our pates well to teach us how to live!

388. L. Fortune's buffets.

389.

Nor you nor I can read the etern decree, To that enigma we can find no key; They talk of you and me _behind_ the veil, But, if that veil be lifted, where are _we_?

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

390.

O Love, for ever doth heaven's wheel design To take away thy precious life, and mine; Sit we upon this turf, 'twill not be long Ere turf shall grow upon my dust, and thine!

390. L. N. B.

391.

When life has fled, and we rest in the tomb, They'll place a pair of bricks to mark our tomb; And, a while after, mould our dust to bricks, To furnish forth some other person's tomb!

391. L. N. A. I.

392.

Yon palace, towering to the welkin blue, Where kings did bow them down, and homage do, I saw a ringdove on its arches perched, And thus she made complaint, Coo, Coo, Coo, Coo!

392. C. L. N. A. I. J. Mr. Binning found this quatrain inscribed on the ruins of Persepolis--Fitzgerald. Coo (_Ku_) means Where are they?

393.

We come and go, but for the gain, where is it?

And spin life's woof, but for the warp, where is it?

And many a righteous man has burned to dust In heaven's blue rondure, but their smoke, where is it?

393. C. L. N. A. B. I. J. So Ecclesiastes, There is no remembrance of the wise, more than of the fool. Smoke, _i.e._, trace.

394.

Life's well-spring lurks within that lip of thine!

Let not the cup's lip touch that lip of thine!

Beshrew me, if I fail to drink his blood, For who is he, to touch that lip of thine?

394. C. L. N. A. I. J. To a sweetheart.

395.

Such as I am, Thy power created me, Thy care hath kept me for a century!

Through all these years I make experiment, If my sins or Thy mercy greater be.

395. C. L. N. A. I. J. G.o.d's long-suffering.

396.

Take up thy cup and goblet, Love, I said, Haunt purling river bank, and gra.s.sy glade; Full many a moon-like form has heaven's weel Oft into cup, oft into goblet, made!

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

397.

We buy new wine and old, our cups to fill, And sell for two grains this world's good and ill; Know you where you will go to after death?

Set wine before me, and go where you will!

397. L. N. and J. give lines 1 and 2 differently.

398.

Was e'er man born who never went astray?

Did ever mortal pa.s.s a sinless day?

If I do ill, do not requite with ill!

Evil for evil how can'st Thou repay?

398. L. N. Line 3 and 4 are paraphrased somewhat freely.

399.

Bring forth that ruby gem of Badakhshan, That heart's delight, that balm of Turkistan; They say 'tis wrong for Musulmen to drink, But ah! where can we find a Musulman?

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

400.