New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-12-26

/ I'rI KTWnIy
company my place is below the salt but as you
kindly invited me, it was not in human nature
for me II refuse Although Ia kno"Ieds' ahu
comprehension Of the two great poets "hoih you
ale met To commemorate am the least among
YOU there is no one who regards mem win
greater admiration. or reads them Win more
enjoyment. than myself can never i'rset my
emotions when | first saw FitZieraldS trtls'a
tons Of ;hc Qudtrains Keats in his sublime
ode on Chapmans Homer has described the
sensation once for all:
Then f-lt I like a. watcher n the skies
when now plant sw!ms into hts ken
Tn. exquisite beauty. the faultless form. the
singular sracr Of those amazing stanZaS were
not more wonderful than the depth ana breadth
81 their profound philosophy, their hno" iedSc Oh
lif. their Iaunt!eSs courage. their serene facing
II the ultimate problems ~ life and OF deith
~ cours- the doubt did not spare me- which
has assailrd many ~ ignorant rs was OF the
itt.ratur. # me Eas. whether it was the poet
OF his translator To- whom VAS due TINS Spi'Adl'
result. Was it. in fact. a repl)duc'Ion 81 an
a, lJIe song or a mystihcatiOn II a great mod
ern. Careless IF fame. and acorniul 81 his time
could IL be- possible that IN thr eleventh century,
far away - Khoraasan. 80 accomplished
man Of letters .!Vcd. with such distinction. such
breadth. such insight. such calm ilsilluson' such
IN .rifui and jp,und despair Was this Welt
schin,fZ. which ~ thought mllddy ~ our DAY
..ndcini. IN Persia in Hoo Ny doubt lasted
only tli came upon literal translation OF the
I:ubailti and / SAN thl, not tn last remark
able quality ~ Fitz'icralds poem was It's hdeli-
- To- the original In short. omar Vas FitZ-
Incarnation Il omar. IL Is no. {" IN" disddyan-
ago ~ IN. later poet that H. followed 50 closely
20 the footsteps - tn" earlier \ man or cx-
tr.ordirary genius had appeared in he world:
n.td suEg SON. Of incJWpar-ni" beauty ana
power IN an rnNirOnW n no longer worthy Of
MIN in lIuguae" 81 n1rro" !an;"; for many
g-nrraii"ns IN" sons Wa virtually lost. thcn
- 4 miracle Of creation poet. a Twin Drother
IN III spirit to the iir. As born, VINO took up
tn" forgotten poem and sang it an"w with all
its original melody and force and all tn" accu-
81. ..f q
,... inS 10 No idle t. ask which was the greater
master. each seems greater th1u his work The
song * Ike an instrument Of precious workman
hip ard marvellous tome. which ~ worthless In
common hands bur when il falls. at LONG inter
walls. INTO IN" hands II ne supreme master it
5 l"iis a melody ,i ILnsc"ndent cnchantment
tp an THAI have cars 10 hear. II We look AZ the
SPHERE # iuturnc- Of the two poets. there is no
longer any comparison. Omar sang To n half
harharous province. Fitzticrad to the world.
Wherever thu English speech is spoken or read
hc I;ubaiydt haVc taken their place As Il classic.
There Is not hill post In India. nor a village in
England where there is not 4 coterie 10 whom
omar Khayyam is familiar friend and bond
Of union. In America he has an equal follow
ing IA many regions and conditions In the
Eastern States his adopts form an esoteric sect:
tho beautiful volume ~ drawings by Mr.. Vedder
is a centre of delight and suggestion wherever
Fl exists. In the cities Of the West you will find
the QuatrainS one Of the most thoroughly read
books in every club library | heard him quoted
once in one Of the most lonely and desOlate spots
If the high Rockies. We had been camping on
the Great Divide. our roof Of the world" where
In the space Of few feet you may two
springs. sending its waters to the Polar soil
tudes the other to the eternal Carb summer.
one morning at sunrise were breaking
camp | was startled to hear one OF our party. |
a fronticrsman born. informing these words OF
sombrc majesty:
'Ts bur a tent where takes his one days rest
Sultan to III. realm OF death addressed
The sultan rises am the dark FerrAsh
strikes. and prepares II for another guest.
| thought that sublime setting OF primeyal |
forest and froWning canyon was worthy OF the |
Ines; I am sure the devices crystalline air |
never vibrated To strains OF more solemn music |
Certainly. poet can never be numbered |
lmong the great popular writer's Of all time |
He has told no story. he has never unpacked |
MS heart IN public. he has never thrown the |
-cins on the neck Of the winged horse and let |
zig Imagination carry him where IL listed. "Ah! |
he crowd must have emphatic warrant" as |
Browning sang. It's sunragcs are not for the |
DOL collected observer. whose eye no glitter can
es.nt that air Of lofty intelligence. that pale
md subtle smile But he will hold a place for
yer among that limited number who. like Lu-
retius and Epcurus without rage defiance
ven without unbccOming mirth-lOOk deep into
he tangled mysteries Of things: refuse crcdence
o the absurd and allegiance to arrogant au-
hority: sufficiently conscious Of falibility to be
oIerant Of all opinions: with faith too wide
or doctrine and a benevolcnce untrammelled
" creed. too wise to be wholly poets and yet
90 surely poets to be implacably wise cloud
hccrS)
SHE WAS POSITIVE.
puck