The Sufistic Quatrains Of Omar Khayyam Part 63

440. N. _Ta bar nikashand_, Let us abstain from oppressing people, so that they may not heave a sigh, saying, O Lord.

441.

This soul of mine was once Thy cherished bride, What caused Thee to divorce her from Thy side?

Thou didst not use to treat her thus of yore, Why then now doom her in the world to abide?

441. L. N.

442.

Ah! would there were a place of rest from pain, Which we, poor pilgrims, might at last attain, And after many thousand wintry years, Renew our life, like flowers, and bloom again!

442. C. N. A. I. J.

443.

While in love's book I sought an augury; An ardent youth cried out in ecstasy, Who owns a sweetheart beauteous as the moon, Might wish his moments long as years to be!

443. C. L. N. A. I. Compare the _sortes Virgilianae._ Line 4 is freely paraphrased.

444.

Winter is past, and spring-tide has begun, Soon will the pages of life's book be done!

Well saith the sage, Life is a poison rank, And antidote, save grape-juice, there is none.

444. C. L. N. A. I. J.

445.

Beloved, if thou a reverend Molla be, Quit saintly show, and feigned austerity, And quaff the wine that Murtaza purveys, And sport with Houris 'neath some shady tree!

445. N. Note the change from the imperative to the aorist. In line 4 scan _Murtazasha_. _Murtaza_ (Ali) is the celestial cupbearer.

446.

Last night I dashed my cup against a stone, In a mad drunken freak, as I must own, And lo! the cup cries out in agony, You too, like me, shall soon be overthrown.

446. C. L. N. A. B. I. _Saboyiy, ya i batni_, joined to the noun by euphonic or conjunctive _ya_.

447.

My heart is weary of hypocrisy, Cupbearer, bring some wine, I beg of thee!

This hooded cowl and prayer-mat p.a.w.n for wine, Then will I boast me in security.

447. N.

448.

Audit yourself, your truce account to frame, See! you go empty, as you empty came; You say, I will not drink and peril life, But, drink or no, you must die all the same!

448. C. L. N. A. I.

449.

Open the door! O entrance who procurest, And guide the way, O Thou of guides the surest!

Directors born of men shall not direct me, Their counsel comes to naught, but Thou endurest!

450.

In slandering and reviling you persist, Calling me infidel and atheist: My errors I will not deny, but yet Does foul abuse become a moralist?

450. C. L. N. A. I. In line 1 scan _goyi-yaz_, Bl., Prosody, p. 10. The _tashdid_ of _mukin_ is dropped.

451.

To find a remedy, put up with pain, Chafe not at woe, and healing thou wilt gain; Though poor, be ever of a thankful mind, 'Tis the sure method riches to obtain.

451. L. N. _Dawayiy_. The first _ya_ is the conjunctive _ya_ (Vullers, p. 16), the second _ya i tankir_.

452.

Give me a skin of wine, a crust of bread A pittance bare, a book of verse to read; With thee, O love, to share my lowly roof, I would not take the Sultan's realm instead!

452. N. B. _Tange_, the _izafat_ is displaced by _ya i tankir_, according to Lumsden, ii. 269.

453.

Reason not of the five, nor of the four, Be their dark problems one, or many score; We are but earth, go, minstrel, bring the lute, We are but air, bring wine, I ask no more!

453. N. C. L. A. I. J. give only the first line of this. Five senses, four elements.

454.

Why argue on Yasin and on Barat?