The times., 1898-11-21

result IN an aDunudnt HdTNeSt- II "oS
an entertainment given at one OF the
very best Newport cottages. under the
fostering care of a leader of fashion.
and there seemed no reason why II
should not appear at other houses dur
ing the coming season. 1t consisted OF
the Interpretation of The Rubaiyat OF
Omar Khayyam" by means of dance.
As the verses were solemnly and reyer-
entiauy read, a dancer TRANSLATED the
poets message into words with the
lightness of body resultant from years
of devotional application" 1t is said
that the dancer succeeded in giving
expression to the poem, creating deep
er impression. bringing to us realization
of greater life and an appreciation of
what we may attain"
Chicago. and other cities in the fringe
of outer darkness. beyond the circles OF
the elite, had before this given produc-
tions Of the "Rubaiyat' with musical
setting. and people &ho could not ap-
preciate these had meekly sat at home
and studied the poem in cold print But
Chicago never thought of dancing to
the measure Of FitzSerald's quatrains-
\ bright girl, whose feet were more
niInble than her brains in questions of
mathematics. once exclaimed to her
teacher in comic despair, Il wish 1
could just dance these iogarithms out;
it would be great deal easier than to
solve them by the other kind of fig
ures." Perhaps in course of time. her
dream may be verified, and troops of
merry children may learn their multi
plication table while threading some
kindergarten form of the may dance.
At any rate, Omar Khayyam is now ex-
planned by devotional dancing, and that
is something.
Ones curiosity is kindled, in rejecting
on this new form of instructive enter
tainment, and on certain passages OF
the poem which have hitherto been hard
nuts for the devOtionally inclined to
crack. How, for example. would a devo-
tional dancer interpret the lines
Drink, for We know not whence ye come, nor
why?
Or that other about many cup of this
| forbidden wine?'' 1t may be safely
stated that this form of entertainment
will not be in vogue at church socia-
| bles for some time TO come-not even to
| explain the Bible.
The real truth of the matter is that in
| Oriental lands the poem was undoubted-
| ly once explained by means of a dance.
Many of the Oriental dances were orig
| inally postures of religious significance,
| intuitively comprehended by the be-
! holder through sort of hereditary un-
derstandng. In these lands, whose ear
| liest history is enveloped in the mist of
| half-translated tradition, strange Gus.
| toms have been handed down through
| countless generations, and the Oriental
! of today. though he may understand the
meaning, cannot or will not expla n 1t to
| the alien. The very text of the .'Rubai-
yat' is full of illusions which, while
clear to the Oriental philosopher, are
absolutely without meaning TO the aver
age Western mind To transplant
that poem, with its Oriental metaphors
and significance. and its Oriental inter
probation by means of the dance. 10
Western soil and try to explain it to a
lot of people who have taken up the
poem as fad, is considerably less SEN
sible than it would be to plant a COM
munity of New England Shakers in
Rajputana.