The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-04-22
THE RUBAIYAT OF DOBLEY.
A SPRING POEM WITH A STING
~ THE END or IT.
He Hopes to He an Omar khayysm Ten Cen
turtles Hence and In the Meantime to Set
III, New club to Thinking and to Collect
Some Money Due Him From n Friend.

SOuV NhehN
"rreshington," said Dobley, Invites US to Join
an omar Khayynn Club that he IN organizing.
/, Is TO meet one evening every second week for
literary discussion
"Wb,, IL IL all about asked Mrs Dobley.
looking up from her embroidery.
why, this 'Rubaiyat' Of Omar Khayyam that Ia
such a fad Just now" explained Dobley. It's
one Of those vague mysterious cults that people are
running 40 much to OF late.
-Bu, wha, il it, asked Mra Dobley carefully
stitching the seeds in a strawberry.
why, a club for the discussion OF the poem.
The idea is to get all the hidden meanings and
Hnd out Just what Omar was getting at"
Omar who"' asked Mrs, Dobley.
why Omar Khayyam, Of course" said Dobley.
who on earth was he%
rs il possible. said D0bley, throwing all the
repruach he could into his voice, that while the
whole literary world il vibrating with this poem
you do not know about it"
Now you know quite WE'LL said Mrs poo'ey,
that | have been too busy getting new things
made to give even a thought TO such subjects
III Join the club II you wish, but pleas tell me
about II Hrst."
My only object In Joining the club said Dobley.
would b. TO give me ideas upon the subject OF
Omar. While he lived in the eleventh century
lie was a perfect typo Of what Is known to-day
as a pipe dreamer. Pipe dreamers live In a world
Of their own and are united by a subtle bond OF
sympathy whether they live in the eleventh or
the nineteenth century. .Omars poem lay dor
mant for several hundred years and then poets
OF the same school began to translate u linen IL
became a fad and at present II 10 virulent.
But are the verses pretty asked Mrs. Dopiey'
They ara pretty as words strung together in
rhyme may be" sad Dobley, and tbs beauty
u this poetry Of the hasheesh school IL that II
doesn't have to mean anything. So the, trans
lators have strewn capital letters thickly through
the verses and il makes II positively weird. When
you see the word thought OF say occurring
in a poem it doesn't impress, you as being wonder
full. but you just put a few capitals In in the middle
Of sentences and you make people think
But don't you think i will contilc, WIN the
original ideas Of tn" club II you start into throw"
ing down their idol the first thing,
Il don't care II Il does. Ereshington has In
vited me g. enter the first evenings discussion
without even questioning my opinions. tie
takes it that | am like everybody else. khayy"m
mad
How DO you purpose to bring out your IDEAS
Simply by bringing the 'Rubaiya,' down 10
date. omar brought all sorts Of commonplacas
into his POEM and put them side by side with
the loitiest flights Of fancy. It was the greatest
mix up on record
But | cannot understand how you are going
20 make il plain to the other folks who will think
you don't understand the true meaning Of the
poem -.
"Ihave thought out a novel snd unique method
said Dobley; | hayr written q spring POEM -,
4 spring poem exclaimed Mrs, DohIey' /
never knew you were o poet
You don't have 10 be when YOU write 'Rubai'
yats,' said Doblev. You just let your mind get
thoroughly ont Of control and then wander on
Now the Rubaiyat that ! have prepared. II II be
unearthed and translated into another language
ten centuries FROM now will perhaps seem quite
az ragu" ard as beautiful
Perhaps, suggested Mrs. Dublcy.
"rhais what said Perhaps, returned
Dohley. MY idea is that omar. was really
writing for enc of Tho comic weeklies of the
eleventh century"
Did they have them them" asked Mrs DobIey
Certainly, said Dobley; that's where they
get all their iokes from They have fellows trans
la,ing the Old files all tn" time aud working
rs your Ruhaiyat humorous" asked Mrs.
Dohley' .
said Dobley III, has no purpose Hu, there
NAV be vague hidden meanings in II that ! am
unaware Of myself The mystic poets never
really know wha, they moan when they are writ
ing. II takes their readers 70 find out the un-
ut'erablc depth Of il all. For instance Omar
constantly alludcs in his work to Jugs, mugs.
bottles and their intoxicating contents, He
evcns goes so far as 10 say that he cannot imagine
why the winners sell their wines for the reason
that no knows Of nothing so. precious that they
could buy, which sentiment II uttered by a mod
ern poet would call down the criticism Of any
number Of tenn erancc societies My, private
opinion is that Omar was a somewh a, ~disreput
able old party; a Bohemian Of the eleventh cen
fury who preferred 10 loaf around singing under
the trees To staying in the shop making tents"
Was he married. asked Mrs Doblcy
Let us hope So" said Doblcy; His historian,
And those who nrc putting him up as an idol
are trying 10 make him out a. saint as well, I
cant imagine a married saint.
Nor |, said Mrs Dobley; but | am getting
NV version" asked Dobley. you understand,
Of course. that there have been others, But It's
getting 10 be the thing 10 add 10 the bunch. DO
you really think you would like to hear mine
"Ititis mo-, too long " said Mrs, Dobley. .
"Oh. Mrs Dobley' Mrs, Dohley' When will
YOU ever get beyond that Mother Goose taste
in pinatores. NV version is only seventeen
verses long, quite brief in comparison TO those
others BY, Mccarthy, Fitn Gerald, lsGallienne
and the other fellows that made The first trans
la,ions but worr never heard Of"
III don't understand ! | am sure 10 &c, tired
and yawn said Mrs. nohlcy,
If You do" said Mr. Doblcy, profoundly, III
will BE- the highest compliment YOU could pay
me. II will prove that my version is the real
thing Rubaiyst that could be understood
like a primer would be n Joke
Mr.. Duhlry extracted n roll ~ manuscript from
his pocket and hogan 10 read in q low intense
voice as though he were informing q litany:
THH MODERN RuBNYAT.
Doblcy's Version.
| Hark' For the message come,h from the King,
Winter. thy doom is spoke thy dirgts ring,
Thy time IL DER and through the Palace door
Enter the Princess Hail the new crowned Spring.
Comes she all rose crowned, glowing with the JOY
OF Laughter and Of cupid. the God Boy.
Buds bursting ON the bough In welcoming
To Her We Love, whose loving Will not Cloy'
List, From the organ ripping In the Street
Come sounds rejoicing. glad Her reign TO greet.
The Shad Is smiling In the Market Place
And exc the Little Neck All 1ife Is Sweet
Come, lie, us lit a Merry Little Song
And In an Automobile glide along
Into the glory Of tue Years new birth
Hasten! on, haste For this Is Spring, ! Think,
| Come where the Bonncts bloom within the Grove
And let US pluck them for the one We Love;
NiDletS and Things and chiffon. nestcd Birds.
Tell me didst ever see n Glass Eyed Dove
Think you how many Springs will 40 and come
when We are Dead Ones and the busy Hum
OF life viii never reach rs Nothing bone
And Nothing Doing ia the Silence GlumI
Il think that sounds very Siangy, said Mrs
Dobley,
Perhaps II may 10 the unthinkinC," said
Dobey, but not 10 those who go below the sur
! face Of things II is impossible for n mere reader
I - expreSs the occultism that turks in n free SPHINX
ling Of capital letters Are you beginning 10
comprehend the wandering drcaminess Of the
Not quite, said Mrs, Dobley. q never saw
q shad smile. Did you"
"Tush' lush = said Dobley; that's the
Oriental imagery Of the thing. OF course IL
doesn't really mean shad. I've spelled IL with
a%capital'
Well, what does it mean anyhow asked
Mrs DOblcy.
,tTh,t " aatJ nnLl,,. Uta 10, ,I. .,,,h.- M