The Sufistic Quatrains Of Omar Khayyam Part 8

P. iii.--Six ruba'iyat written in a handwriting of the 11th century of the Hijrah, on fol. 104 of a MS. collection of poems.

Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris. Supplement Persan, No. 793.

P. iv.--The MS. in the Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris. Supplement Persan, No. 826, ff. 391-394. Dated A.H. 937 (A.D. 1530), containing 76 ruba'iyat.

P. v.--The MS. in the Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris. Ancien Fonds., No. 349, ff. 181-210. Dated A.H. 920 (A.D. 1514), containing 213 ruba'iyat.

T.--The MS. in the Library of the Nawab of Tonk. Apparently copied about A.D. 1840 princ.i.p.ally from C., containing 369 ruba'iyat.

E.C.--The quatrains translated by Prof. E.B. Cowell in his article in the Calcutta Review, No. 59, March, 1858, p. 149.

De T.--The ten quatrains translated from the Ouseley MS. by Garcin de Ta.s.sy in his _Note sur les Ruba'iyat d'Omar Khayam._ (Paris, Imprimerie Imperiale, 1857.)

V.--The metrical translation by John Payne, published by the Villon Society (London, 1898), containing 845 quatrains.

a.n.a.lYSIS OF EDWARD FITZGERALD'S QUATRAINS

I.

Wake! For the Sun, who scatter'd into flight The Stars before him from the Field of Night, Drives Night along with them from Heav'n, and strikes The Sultan's Turret with a Shaft of Light.

This version of the opening quatrain is gradually evolved through the four editions. The quatrain, which, in the first edition runs:

Awake! for Morning in the Bowl of Night Has flung the Stone that puts the Stars to Flight: And lo! the Hunter of the East has caught The Sultan's Turret in a Noose of Light.

is inspired by C. 134.

The Sun casts the noose of morning upon the roofs, Kai Khosru of the day, he throws a stone into the bowl: Drink wine! for the Herald of the Dawn, rising up, Hurls into the days the cry of Drink ye!

_Ref._:[15]L. 235, B. 232, C. 134, P. 320, T. 138.--W. 233, V. 242.

It is not surprising that Mr. Aldis Wright, in his editorial note at the end of Messrs. Macmillan's definitive edition (London, 1890), states that the first stanza is entirely his own, for, in this precise form the ruba'i is only to be found in the Calcutta MS. and in a recently discovered MS. copied largely from it and belonging to the Nawab of Tonk. The matter rests upon the word stone in the second line. The word means to fling a stone into a cup or pot, which is the signal for striking camp among tribes of nomad Arabs. All the other texts I have seen read wine for stone which has made the translators (Whinfield and Payne) properly render the pa.s.sage pours _wine_ into the cup.

II.

Before the phantom of False morning died, Methought a Voice within the Tavern cried, When all the Temple is prepared within, Why nods the drowsy Worshipper outside?

The inspiration for this quatrain is to be found in C. 5:

There came one morning a cry from our tavern: Ho! our crazy, tavern-haunting profligate[16]

Arise! that we may fill the measure with wine, Ere they fill up our measure (of life).

_Ref._: L. 1, B. 1, C. 5, B. ii. 1, T. 3.--W. 1, N. 1, V. 1.

In FitzGerald's quatrain there is traceable the influence of one of the odes of Hafiz, translated by Prof. Cowell (in Fraser's Magazine, September, 1854), which he greatly admired. The lines in question run:

The morning dawns and the cloud has woven a canopy, The morning draught, my friends, the morning draught!

It is strange that at such a season They shut up the wine tavern! Oh, hasten!

Have they still shut up the door of the tavern?

Open, oh thou Keeper of the Gates![17]

The influence of these lines is carried on into the next quatrain.

III.

And, as the c.o.c.k crew, those who stood before The Tavern shouted--Open then the Door!

You know how little while we have to stay, And, once departed, may return no more.

The inspiration for this quatrain is found in four ruba'iyat of the Calcutta MS., viz.: 641, 207 (ll. 3 and 4), 273, 247.

It is the hour for the morning draught, and the c.o.c.k-crow, O Saki, Here are we, and the wine, and the street of the vintners, O Saki, What time is this for devotions? Be silent, O Saki, Let be the traditions,[18] and drink to the dregs, O Saki.

_Ref._: L. 685, B. 676, C. 461, S.P. 448, B. ii. 599.--W. 483, N. 454, V. 737.

Thou must drink wine, and gratify the pleasures of thy heart, It is clear that so long (and no longer) thou wilt remain in this world.

_Ref._: L. 281, B. 277, C. 207.--V. 285.

O Essence of Delight! Arise, it is the dawn!

Softly, softly drink wine, and play the harp For those who are asleep do not find much, And none of those who are gone will ever come back.

_Ref._: L. 431, B. 427, P. 289, C. 273, B. ii. 307, T. 173, P. v.

163.--N. 235, V. 469.

It is the dawn! Arise, O strange boy!

Fill up the crystal cup with ruby wine.

For this moment (of existence) that is lent thee in this corner of mortality Thou may'st seek long, but thou shalt not find it again.

_Ref._: L. 402, B. 398, P. 224, S.P. 213, C. 247, B. ii. 282, P. iv.

21.--N. 214, V. 425.

IV.

Now the New Year reviving old Desires, The thoughtful Soul to Solitude retires, Where the WHITE HAND OF MOSES on the Bough Puts out, and Jesus from the Ground suspires.

This quatrain is translated from two ruba'iyat in the Ouseley MS., 13 and 80.

Now that there is a possibility of happiness for the world, Every living heart[19] has yearnings towards the desert, Upon every bough is the appearance of Moses' hand, In every breeze is the exhalation of Jesus' breath.[20]

_Ref._: P. 194, O. 13.--W. 116.

Now is the time when by the spring breezes[21] the world is adorned, And in hope of rain it opens its eyes,[22]

The hands of Moses appear like froth upon the bough, And the breath of Jesus comes forth from the earth.