# The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam (tr. Fitzgerald, 1st edition)/The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam

RUBÁIYÁT
OF
OMAR KHAYYÁM OF NAISHÁPÚR.
I.
Has flung the Stone that puts the Stars to Flight:$^1$ And Lo! the Hunter of the East has caught The Sultán's Turret in a Noose of Light.
II.
I heard a Voice within the Tavern cry, "Awake, my Little ones, and fill the Cup "Before Life's Liquor in its Cup be dry."
III.
The Tavern shouted—"Open then the Door! "You know how little while we have to stay, "And, once departed, may return no more."
IV.
The thoughtful Soul to Solitude retires, Where the White hand of Moses on the Bough Puts out,$^4$ and Jesus from the Ground suspires.
V.
And Jamshýd's Sev'n-ring'd Cup where no one knows; But still the Vine her ancient Ruby yields, And still a Garden by the Water blows.
VI.
High piping Péhlevi,$^6$ with "Wine! Wine! Wine! "Red Wine!"—the Nightingale cries to the Rose That yellow Cheek$^7$ of her's to'incarnadine.
VII.
The Winter Garment of Repentance fling: The Bird of Time has but a little way To fly—and Lo! the Bird is on the Wing.
VIII.
Woke—and a thousand scatter'd into Clay: And this first Summer Month that brings the Rose Shall take Jamshýd and Kaikobád away.
IX.
Of Kaikobád and Kaikhosrú forgot: Let Rustum lay about him as he will,$^8$ Or Hátim Tai cry Supper—heed them not.
X.
That just divides the desert from the sown, Where name of Slave and Sultán scarce is known, And pity Sultán Mahmúd on his Throne.
XI.
A Flask of Wine, a Book of Verse—and Thou Beside me singing in the Wilderness— And Wilderness is Paradise enow.
XII.
Others—"How blest the Paradise to come!" Ah, take the Cash in hand and wave the Rest; Oh, the brave Music of a distant Drum!$^9$
XIII.
"Laughing," she says, "into the World I blow: "At once the silken Tassel of my Purse "Tear, and its Treasure$^{10}$ on the Garden throw."
XIV.
Turns Ashes—or it prospers; and anon, Like Snow upon the Desert's dusty Face Lighting a little Hour or two—is gone.
XV.
And those who flung it to the Winds like Rain, Alike to no such aureate Earth are turn'd As, buried once, Men want dug up again.
XVI.
Whose Doorways are alternate Night and Day, How Sultán after Sultán with his Pomp Abode his Hour or two, and went his way.
XVII.
The Courts where Jamshýd gloried and drank deep:$^{11}$ And Bahrám, that great Hunter—the Wild Ass Stamps o'er his Head, and he lies fast asleep.
XVIII.
The Rose as where some buried Cæsar bled; That every Hyacinth the Garden wears Dropt in its Lap from some once lovely Head.
XIX.
Fledges the River's Lip on which we lean— Ah, lean upon it lightly! for who knows From what once lovely Lip it springs unseen!
XX.
To-day of past Regrets and future Fears— To-morrow?—Why, To-morrow I may be Myself with Yesterday's Sev'n Thousand Years.$^{12}$
XXI.
That Time and Fate of all their Vintage prest, Have drunk their Cup a Round or two before, And one by one crept silently to Rest.
XXII.
They left, and Summer dresses in new Bloom, Ourselves must we beneath the Couch of Earth Descend, ourselves to make a Couch—for whom?
XXIII.
Before we too into the Dust Descend; Dust into Dust, and under Dust, to lie, Sans Wine, sans Song, sans Singer and—sans End!
XXIV.
And those that after a To-morrow stare, A Muezzín from the Tower of Darkness cries "Fools! your Reward is neither Here nor There."
XXV.
Of the Two Worlds so learnedly, are thrust Like foolish Prophets forth; their Words to Scorn Are scatter'd, and their Mouths are stopt with Dust.
XXVI.
To talk; one thing is certain, that Life flies; One thing is certain, and the Rest is Lies; The Flower that once has blown for ever dies.
XXVII.
Doctor and Saint, and heard great Argument About it and about: but evermore Came out by the same Door as in I went.
XXVIII.
And with my own hand labour'd it to grow: And this was all the Harvest that I reap'd— "I came like Water, and like Wind I go."
XXIX.
Nor whence, like Water willy-nilly flowing: And out of it, as Wind along the Waste, I know not whither, willy-nilly blowing.
XXX.
And, without asking, whither hurried hence! Another and another Cup to drown The Memory of this Impertinence!
XXXI.
I rose, and on the Throne of Saturn sate,$^{13}$ And many Knots unravel'd by the Road; But not the Knot of Human Death and Fate.
XXXII.
There was a Veil past which I could not see: Some little Talk awhile of Me and Thee There seemed—and then no more of Thee and Me.$^{15}$
XXXIII.
Asking, "What Lamp had Destiny to guide "Her little Children stumbling in the Dark?" And—"A blind understanding!" Heav'n replied.
XXXIV.
My Lip the secret Well of Life to learn: And Lip to Lip it murmur'd—"While you live, "Drink!—for once dead you never shall return."
XXXV.
Articulation answer'd, once did live, And merry-make; and the cold Lip I kiss'd How many Kisses might it take—and give.
XXXVI.
I watch'd the Potter thumping his wet Clay: And with its all obliterated Tongue It murmur'd—"Gently, Brother, gently, pray!"
XXXVII.
How Time is slipping underneath our Feet: Unborn To-morrow and dead Yesterday, Why fret about them if To-day be sweet!
XXXVIII.
One moment, of the Well of Life to taste— The Stars are setting, and the Caravan Starts for the dawn of Nothing$^{16}$—Oh, make haste!
XXXIX.
Of This and That endeavour and dispute? Better be merry with the fruitful Grape Than sadden after none, or bitter, Fruit.
XL.
For a new Marriage I did make Carouse: Divorced old barren Reason from my Bed, And took the Daughter of the Vine to Spouse.
XLI.
And, "Up-and-down" without, I could define,$^{14}$ I yet in all I only cared to know, Was never deep in anything but—Wine.
XLII.
Came stealing through the Dusk an Angel Shape, Bearing a vessel on his Shoulder; and He bid me taste of it; and 'twas—the Grape!
XLIII.
The Two-and-Seventy jarring Sects$^{17}$ confute: The subtle Alchemist that in a Trice Life's leaden Metal into Gold transmute.
XLIV.
That all the misbelieving and black Horde$^{18}$ Of Fears and Sorrows that infest the Soul Scatters and slays with his enchanted Sword.
XLV.
The Quarrel of the Universe let be: And, in some corner of the Hubbub coucht, Make Game of that which makes as much of Thee.
XLVI.
'Tis nothing but a Magic Shadow-show, Play'd in a Box whose Candle is the Sun, Round which we Phantom Figures come and go.$^{19}$
XLVII.
End in the Nothing all Things end in—Yes— Then fancy while Thou art, Thou art but what Thou shalt be—Nothing—Thou shalt not be less.
XLVIII.
With old Khayyám the Ruby Vintage drink: And when the Angel with his darker Draught Draws up to thee—take that, and do not shrink.
XLIX.
Where Destiny with Men for Pieces plays: Hither and thither moves, and mates, and slays, And one by one back in the Closet lays.
L.
But Right or Left as strikes the Player goes; And He that toss'd Thee down into the Field, He knows about it all—He knows—HE knows!$^{20}$
LI.
Moves on: nor all thy Piety nor Wit Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line, Nor all thy Tears wash out a Word of it.
LII.
Whereunder crawling coop't we live and die, Lift not thy hands to It for help—for It Rolls impotently on as Thou or I.
LIII.
And then of the Last Harvest sow'd the Seed: Yea, the first Morning of Creation wrote What the Last Dawn of Reckoning shall read.
LIV.
Over the shoulders of the flaming Foal Of Heav'n Parwín and Mushtara they flung,$^{21}$ In my predestin'd Plot of Dust and Soul
LV.
If clings my Being—let the Súfi flout; Of my Base Metal may be filed a Key, That shall unlock the Door he howls without.
LVI.
Kindle to Love, or Wrathconsume me quite, One Glimpse of It within the Tavern caught Better than in the Temple lost outright.
LVII.
Beset the Road I was to wander in, Thou wilt not with Predestination round Enmesh me, and impute my Fall to Sin?
LVIII.
And who with Eden didst devise the Snake; For all the Sin wherewith the Face of Man Is blacken'd, Man's Forgiveness give—and take! ********
KÚZA-NÁMA.
LIX.
Of Ramazán, ere the better Moon arose, In that old Potter's Shop I stood alone With the clay Population round in Rows.
LX.
Some could articulate, while others not: And suddenly one more impatient cried— "Who is the Potter, pray, and who the Pot?"
LXI.
"My substance from the common Earth was ta'en, "That He who subtly wrought me into Shape "Should stamp me back to common Earth again."
LXII.
"Would break the Bowl from which he drank in Joy; "Shall He that made the Vessel in pure Love "And Fansy, in an after Rage destroy!"
LXIII.
A Vessel of a more ungainly Make: "They sneer at me for leaning all awry; "What? did the Hand then of the Potter shake?"
LXIV.
"And daub his Visage with the Smoke of Hell; "They talk of some strict Testing of us—Pish! "He's a Good Fellow, and 'twill all be well."
LXV.
"My Clay with long oblivion is gone dry: "But, fill me with the old familiar Juice, "Methinks I might recover by-and-bye!"
LXVI.
One spied the little Crescent all were seeking: And then they jogg'd each other, "Brother! Brother! "Hark to the Porter's Shoulder-knot a-creaking!" ********
LXVII.
And wash my Body whence the Life has died, And in a Windingsheet of Vine-leaf wrapt, So bury me by some sweet Garden-side.
LXVIII.
Of Perfume shall fling up into the Air, As not a True Believer passing by But shall be overtaken unaware.
LXIX.
Have done my Credit in Men's Eye much wrong: Have drown'd my Honour in a shallow Cup, And sold my Reputation for a Song.
LXX.
I swore—but was I sober when I swore? And then and then came Spring, and Rose-in-hand My thread-bare Penitence apieces tore.
LXXI.
And robb'd me of my Robe of Honour—well, I often wonder what the Vintners buy One half so precious as the Goods they sell.
LXXII.
That Youth's sweet-scented Manuscript should close! The Nightingale that in the Branches sang, Ah, whence, and whither flown again, who knows!
LXXIII.
To grasp this sorry Scheme of Things entire, Would not we shatter it to bits—and then Re-mould it nearer to the Heart's Desire!
LXXIV.
The Moon of Heav'n is rising once again: How oft hereafter rising shall she look Through this same Garden after me—in vain!
LXXV.
Among the Guests Star-scatter'd on The Grass, And in Thy joyous Errand reach the Spot Where I made one—turn down an empty Glass!
TAMÁM SHUD.
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