OMAR KHAYYAM Uniform with This Volume LIFE OF OMAR AL-KHAYYAMI By J. K. M. SHIRAZI i6mo. Illuminated boards 81.50 net OF OMAR KHAYYAM A NEW METRICAL VERSION RENDERED INTO ENGLISH FROM VARIOUS PERSIAN SOURCES BY GEORGE ROE WITH AN INTRODUCTION AND MANY NOTES AND REFERENCES, AND AN ORIGINAL " ODE TO OMAR " CHICAGO A. C. McCLURG CO. 1906 Copyright A. C. McCttRG & Co. 1906 Published Nov. 3, 1906 THE UNIVERSITY PRESS, CAMBRIDGE, U. S. A. SRLF URL To MY FELLOW MEMBERS OF THE OMAR KHAYYAM CLUB OF AMERICA AND ESPECIALLY TO MR. NATHAN HASKELL DOLE MR. CHARLES D. BURRAGE AND MR. EBEN F. THOMPSON THIS VOLUME IS DEDICATED AS A TOKEN OF GRATITUDE FOR THE KINDNESS AND ENCOURAGEMENT I HAVE RECEIVED AT THEIR HANDS CONTENTS PAGE INTRODUCTION 7 AN ODE TO OMAR 21 RUBA 1YAT OF O.MAR KlIAY\AM 2(J INTRODUCTION JJETWEEN those English versions of Omar which sacri- fice the letter to the requirements of good verse and those which, in order to be literal, sacrifice the spirit to the letter, there is a great gulf. I have attempted a middle course, and the following stanzas are the result. In striving to accomplish two objects, it has sometimes been necessary to disregard the one in order to attain the other, and hence, while my desire to be literal may have often marred my verses, my desire to write a readable poem, with a connection between the stanzas that does not exist in the diwan form, may have tempted me to depart too readily from the letter. Whatever may be the faults or merits of the translation, however, I believe that the marginal references cannot fail to prove valuable to Omarian students. Upon the left-hand margin is given the number of each quatrain in the leading English, German, French, and Italian translations, while the references upon the right-hand margin indicate some of the MSS. and reproductions where the Persian text of the stanza may be found. With the exception of Mr. FitzGerald's masterpiece, the English metrical versions selected for comparison have been chosen not so much for their merits as poetical compositions as because they are bona fide translations. Of the numerous imitations of Mr. FitzGerald's poem, some are written with great smoothness, but even in the best that have come to my notice the epigrammatic terseness of [7] INTRODUCTION Omar is beaten out into such a long string of musical, but thin and weakly stanzas, that it seems scarcely lair to hang them upon the heavy-laden peg of the old tent-maker's reputation. The compounding of two or more quatrains into one, or the expanding of a single quatrain into many, can be suc- cessful only in the hands of genius ; I have, therefore, avoided such an attempt, and each of my stanzas, however imperfect, is the representative of an individual ruba'i. Unlike other translators who have followed this method, I have, however, attempted to weave the separate quatrains into a little poem whose form bears no resemblance to the disjointed arrangement of the original MSS. The metre which I have adopted is the Iambic Pentam- eter, but I have occasionally substituted a Trochee for the initial Iambus, and in one line it has seemed desirable to drop entirely the final Iambus. What appears to be the generally accepted English pro- nunciation of proper names has been used throughout, al- though such form may offend the ear of a purist. Thus, ^1* Kur'an, becomes Koran; t^< Bahrain, becomes Bahrain, etc. Both pronunciations of Bahram are used by Whin- field, and while FitzGerald writes the accent upon the last syllable, it is necessary to change its position in scanning the line. In selecting the Iambic Pentameter, I have been influ- enced rather by the usage of other translators than by that of Omar himself, whose various forms of metre generally contain more than ten syllables, and who would, therefore, INTRODUCTION be better represented by a longer measure, sucli as the Alexandrine. Mr. Whinfield suggests, in his scholarly introduction, that the large number of monosyllabic words contained in English counterbalance the brevity of the decasyllabic line, or, in other words, that it is possible to express oneself in fewer syllables when writing English than would be possible if Persian were employed. This would undoubtedly be true of that form of Persian used in India, but, as Mr. Scott Waring pointedly remarks, "The language of the Persians is wonderfully laconic, while that spoken in India is ridicu- lously verbose ; in Persia it is soft and sweet, in India harsh and disagreeable." The very sweetness of the Persian tongue, however, the great number of similar sounds pleas- ing to the ear, and the ease with which thoughts can be musically expressed, give to Persian poetry an airy lightness that could not be easily reproduced in Alexandrine verses ; hence the choice of a shorter and lighter measure is prob- ably well advised, although it will be found that compara- tively few of the Iambic Pentameters quoted in the marginal references have been able to bear the full burden of the Persian quatrains which they represent. My translation follows the original in that the first, second, and fourth lines, and occasionally all four lines, are rhymed, and in that the rhyme-word is sometimes thrown back a few syllables, and followed by what is technically knoAvn as the "redif" or rearward. This form of throwback and red if often gives the quatrain a quaintly musical sound and is excellently illustrated by Mr. Nathan Haskell Dole in the [9] INTRODUCTION following stanzas, which he has kindly permitted me to quote from his " Multi- variorum " Edition of the Ruba'iyat : " Sage OMAR I would thou wert alive again ! Then might we surely see thee strive again To gather from the bitter flowers of Fate Sweet honey for our human hive again ! ' ' The stars still shine as once they brightly shone, When, as they watched thy terrace, nightly shone The answering flashes of thy love and hate, And red gleams of the wine-cup nightly shone ! " The blood-red petals from the roses fall, as then they did, Death for us moderns closes all, as then it did ; We know not more than thou didst know of life-to-be ; The ruthless Wheel of Heaven disposes all, as then it did. ' ' But thy example makes us brave to face our Fate ; There may be love beyond the grave to grace our Fate, And we, meanwhile, will keep alive the glow of life, to be Worth saving, if great ALLAH deign to save, to grace our Fate. " And so accept this- volume as a meed of praise, Altho thy Fame, so stablished, hath no need of praise, And thou thyself art very far away from us So far, thou'dst not take heed of blame or heed of praise. " A score of zealous poets have translated thee In tongues unheard of when the Mollahs hated thee, And now accept their tribute, and this lay from us For whom thy living words have re-created thee ! " [10] INTRODUCTION Mr. John Payne, in his translation, published by the Villon Society, has also illustrated the remarkable construc- tion of Omar's verses, but with less success than Mr. Dole. Indeed, while the Villon translation indicates a profound knowledge of Vedantic and Oriental lore, Mr. Payne's stanzas are sometimes but little short of astounding, For example the following ruba'i : - is thus rendered : - " Those Avho of sheer old wine, unmingled, drinkers deep are, And those who still a-nights in prayer-niche watch-a-keep are, Not one is on dry land, i' the water all a-heap are, But one of them 's awake, whilst t' others all asleep are." Omar has had many translators, in many tongues, but Mr. Payne's verses are the most remarkable. They are written in rhyme and metre, but they are not poetry ; they are marvellously literal, but they fail to convey the spirit ; they are written by an evident master of prosody, but they are almost devoid of music : and yet, despite all its shortcomings, his long work of 845 quatrains bears the stamp of learning, experience, and industry. In striking contrast to this version is the poem of Mr. FitzGerald. Its longest edition contains only no quatrains, of which less than half are translations, and the remainder INTRODUCTION inspired not only by Khayyam but by Hafiz, Jami, Attar, and others. Nevertheless, FitzGerald has, Avith the magic touch of genius, infused into the few quatrains which he has given us more of the spirit of Omar than all the other English translators combined. Careless of prosody, his work is full of music ; an indifferent Persian scholar, he grasps the poet's meaning with marvellous intuition ; with a magnificent disdain of the letter, he presents us Avith the kernel of the thought ; and over the whole he throws the magic mantle of his own personality and talks to us in words that flow from the living depths of a poet s soul. In one point alone is he lacking, and that, indeed, is not by accident but by design, as he admits in a letter to Profes- sor Cowell. The point, as I understand it, refers to the Vedantic doctrine of the ultimate reabsorption of the soul when freed from the world-figment or Maya of individuality, in the Brahman, or Impersonal Self of the Supreme Spirit. It is, however, because he has only lightly touched upon this belief in two quatrains, one of which appears to have been inspired by the Mantik-ut-Tair of Attar, that the chief raison d'etre of the following work exists. Whether the wine and love of which Omar sings are the wine and love of a sensual materialist, or whether they have a spiritual meaning, such as is generally the case in Sufi poetry, is a much debated question. It is highly probable, however, that they sometimes signify one thing, sometimes another, for written as they \vere at different periods and without reference to each other, the quatrains appear but to reflect the passing mood of the poet ; sometimes they INTRODUCTION overflow with the vivacity of a strong animal vitality ; some- times they are full of thoughtful speculation and Avondcr ; always, indeed, they are clever and epigrammatic, hut often, also, do they tremble with a note of sorrow that verges on the very borderland of despair. That Omar was, to a considerable extent, impregnated with the doctrines of the Sufis is indicated by many of his quatrains. Indeed it appears that the Aryan instincts of the more intelligent Persians led them to discard the Semitic materialism of Muhammad for a belief more profound and spiritual than anything their Arab conquerors could teaqh or appreciate. Thus it was that the Sufi doctrine arose, a pure pantheism that regarded God as an eternal spirit, with- out beginning and without end, a spirit from which, at the beginning, our souls emanated and to which, in the end, they surely will return. This doctrine, which was expounded by Plato to the Western world, and by the profoundest of Vedanta philoso- phers to ancient Hindustan, found a fertile soil among the thinking minds of Persia, who, impelled by their environ- ment to an outward observance of Muhammadanism, never- theless used it but as a cloak to cover the tenets of a purer and a loftier creed. Thus, while both Sufi and orthodox Muhammadan believed in the immortality of the soul, the former professed a belief in the final reabsorption of the individual spirit in the divine essence, while the latter looked forward to a material paradise where he could drink wine and rejoice himself with black-eyed houris, by the crystal waters of the River Kusar. INTRODUCTION The Moslem, filled with visions of a material heaven, more delightful to him than the prospect of a spiritual re- union with God, boldly faces death in the assurance of sensual pleasures that await him in Paradise ; the Sufi, on the other hand, believes even Paradise to be a part of the Maya or illusion that he is seeking to escape, and though he may welcome death as a step toward the boundless sea of divine love for which he longs, ofttimes he cannot for- bear a sigh of regret for the lovely world he is leaving. The spring breezes, the fragrant flowers, the pleasures of beauty and of love can scarce be forsaken without a passing shade of sorrow ; but as the bride weeps for the friends she is leaving, yet feels a new joy within her heart, so the Sufi sighs farewell to the pleasures and beauty of the world and turns toward the source of his being in confidence and peace. "Rejoice in the spring and be glad, for the roses will bloom when you are here no more," sang Hafiz ; but he knew that when the roses were blooming over his grave his soul might perchance be reabsorbed in the divine essence, for he has told us that " The ocean of divine love is an ocean that hath no shore, In which we have no remedy but to yield up our souls [to God]." So, too, our Omar has told us that the path of love will lead our souls till they are lost in the fountain of life. But Omar tells us many things which we cannot easdy reconcile, for he is not the same Omar to-day that he was yesterday, INTRODUCTION and who knows in what vein we may find him to-morrow ! In one mood he bids us drink and rejoice, for soon shall we lie beneath the dust ; and in another he warns us not to sell the countless ages of eternity for the sake of earth's momen- tary pleasures. Now he rises in anger against the ruthless Heaven that has thrust him, helpless and unwilling, into a life whose weary struggles are ended only by death ; and now he turns lovingly to the eternal source of being and says that, knowing the secret of truth, he has no concern about a material heaven or hell. Sometimes agnostic, sometimes full of childlike faith ; now rebellious, and again in a little while fdled with the spirit of gentle thankfulness, he is in all his moods so human, so like ourselves, that his words find an echo in every heart. And though in distant Nishapur he has been so long asleep, his voice comes to us down the ages, still vibrating with the energy and magnet- ism of life, for his Avords are never distant, affected, or cold, but always the honest outpourings of a living, human soul. That the Sufis employed such terms as Avine, beauty, and kisses to express religious devotion, the perfection of the Divine Being, and the raptures of' piety, is undoubted ; but that they sometimes used them in a sense other than spiritual appears equally sure. In reading their poetry, therefore one must determine from the context whether the meaning is literal or spiritual, although it seems that the conclusions thus reached are often dependent upon the individual tem- perament of the reader rather than upon the exercise of an unbiased critical faculty. It would be well, however, to bear in mind that one of the greatest among them has told INTRODUCTION us how "they profess eager desire, hut Avith no carnal affection, and circulate the cup, but no material goblet ; since all things are spiritual in their sect, all is mystery within mystery." The eight concluding quatrains, which are not properly a part of this translation, were suggested by Mr. FitzGerald s version, and have been retained only because they afford an easy method of indicating, by marginal references, some of the sources of his charming Kuza Nama. Where Omar plays upon words, as for example where oU* (Jan), the soul, r^> (jam), a cup, and *~U* (jama), a garment, all occur in the .same line, I have generally re- sorted to the clumsy expedient of a footnote. Also Avhere the point of a verse depends upon the position of a single dot, as in quatrain 98, mere translation would be a totally inadequate method of conveying the meaning. To this latter form of word-play the Arabic alphabet readily lends itself; hence, in Persian, by merely altering the position of a dot, the meaning of many words may be changed. So it happens that a trifling change of position will convert a neighbor _,L> (jar) into a thorn ^^ (khar) and cause crime f-^ (jurm) to become delightful r_r^ (khur- ram), while the addition of a dot \vill convert ihe seas _A^. (bihar) into vapor _,U=v (bukhar), or transform the solution of a problem J^ (hall) into the sail of a ship J^ (jail) ; if the position of the dot be changed, however, so that J> (jail) reads J^ (khall), the ship's sail will be converted into vinegar^. The footnotes treating of these and other matters were originally much more copious, but I thought it wise [16] INTRODUCTION to reduce them when I recollected a story of an old Scotch lady who, after having praised in high terms the clearness of a certain work, added ingenuously that she " hoped, with a micklc mair study, to understand the explanatory notes of the editor." Working far from the great libraries of the world, it has not been possible for me to verify all the right-hand marginal references. Most of them have been made upon the author- ity of Mr. Whinfield's edition of i883 and have been verified as far as possible by comparison with other reproductions, while the remainder are the result of my own investigations. I desire, also, to acknowledge the assistance I have re- ceived from the works of Mr. FitzGerald, Mr. Heron-Allen, Mr. Nathan Haskell Dole, and others, and to express my thanks to those friends whose severe but kindly criticism has been warmly appreciated. GEORGE ROE. SAN ASTOMO, TEXAS, September, i, 1906. ABBREVIATIONS Bod., Bodenstedt's German Translation ; Breslau, A.D. 1889. Cad., J. E. Cadell's English Translation ; John Lane, London and Ne\v York, 1899. F.G., II, Second Edition of FitzGerald's English Translation ; London, A.D. 1868. F.G., V, Fifth " " 1890. Gar., Garner's American Translation ; Philadelphia, A.D. 1897. H.A., Heron-Allen's English Translation of Ouseley MS.; London, 1898. H.P., Von Hammer-Purgstall's German Translation, " Geschichte der scho- nen Redekiinste Persiens," pages 8o-83 ; Vienna, 1818. McC., McCarthy's English Translation; London, A.D. 1889. N., French Translation of Nicolas; Paris, 1867. P., Pizzi's Italian Translation, "Storia della Poesia Persiana," Vol. I, pages 280 286; Turin, 189^. Vill., Payne's Translation, published by the Villon Society ; London, 1898. Von S., Von Shack's German Translation; Stuttgart, A.D. 1878. W., Whinfield's English Translation; London, A.D. 1888. A, MS. formerly in possession of the Asiatic Society, Calcutta ; now either lost or stolen. B, Ouseley MS., in Bodleian Library, Oxford. C, Calcutta Printed Edition of A.D. 1886. D, India Office MS., No. 24ao. E, " No. 2486. F, Lucknow Lithograph. G, Edition of Nicolas, copied from Teheran Lithograph. H, Whinfield's Persian Text ; A.D. 1888. AN ODE TO OMAR AN ODE TO OMAR I AVHAYYAM, old friend, although so long asleep In distant Nishapiir, where roses heap Their petals o'er thy grave, how oft I hear Thy living voice re-echo o'er the deep ! From Breslau's gates, Vienna's spacious halls, Or where Turin uprears her hoary walls, In deep Germanic chaunt, or dulcet lay, The subtle singer of Khorasan calls. Through Albion's isle and o'er the Western main, In streams of lofty music, hark the strain Of mystic numbers sung by thee of old, And now, by other lips, oft sung again. 4 Not thine to scatter bricks along the sea, Not thine such tasks of vain idolatry ; Methinks, e'en now, I hear thy living tongue Scathe shallow priest and canting Pharisee : - AN ODE TO OMAR " O poor blind teacher, who would lead the blind To things beyond the ken of mortal mind, Priest, mystic, scholar or whate'er you be First seek the mystery, yourself, and find. 6 ' ' Or know you where the end of space may lie ? Or where the limits of eternity ? Or what is space, or universe, or God? Or why you live, or wherefore you must die?" 7 Alas, thy spirit, fearless of the rage And thoughtless fury of a bigot age, Like lesser spirits, long has passed away To hidden scenes behind this mortal stage. For still the same eternal law appears That ruled creation through the bygone years, That shaped the pathway of each speck of dust, And traced the courses of the heavenly spheres. [M] AN ODE TO OMAR 9 Thus pow'r and wisdom reach their lowly bed, And shah, like peasant, joins the countless dead ; Nor thinks of him who mounts the empty throne, Nor heeds the feet that trample o'er his head. 10 And lo, the spot where mighty sultans sate, Yon lofty pile where Jamshyd held his state, Where nobles feasted and where beauty smiled, Behold the crumbling wall, the fallen gate ! 1 1 Through yon dim corridor the vampire* flits, 'Neath yon bleak tow'r the busy spider knits Her crafty trap, the dismal night-owl hoots, And o'er the wasting dome the vulture sits ! 12 For death must visit, silent and alone, The humble cot, the sultan's lofty throne ; And while we ponder what the riddle means, The life we ponder is already gone. * The true vampire is found only in South America, but the bats that infest the cave-temples and ancient ruins of India are generally known as vampires to Anglo-Indians. AN ODE TO OMAR i3 And so Khayyam, old friend, thou couldst not stay; And ah, how often have I heard thee say " Not one -returns to count the journey o'er; The flovv'r that dies is ever passed away ! " I '11 strive not, then, the mystery to sift Fast roll the years, the sands of life run swift But quaff the bowl, hail beauty with a kiss, And leave the veil for coming death to lift. i5 And yet, perchance, what mortal thing can say, That wondrous soul that lived within thy clay And gave it pow'r to think and feel and love, Hath vanquished death and triumphed o er decay. 16 And as, at night, when darkness first descends, When evening's veil o'er all the earth extends, The vanished stars again bedeck the sky, And shimm'ring light from Heaven's vault depends ; Or when, near dawn, behind the pearly gray And rosy streaks that herald coming day, The sun returns, in crimson glory clad, So shall thy soul return, perchance it may. 18 Perchance to Nature's fount fled back thy soul, Where seas of love, in endless billows, roll; *- Perchance within the Source of Life 'twas merged, And lost again amidst the Mighty Whole. . '9 A cup awaits us at the river's brink, Where souls are freed from Earth's enslaving link ; And when the radiant angel, kindly Death, Invites our souls, we shall not fear to drink. 20 But swift as rain-drops to the ocean fall, We soon shall join thee at the angel's call, And thou and we shall all be merged in God, The Source, the Stay, the final End of All. *Compare Haflz : The ocean of divine love is boundless; We have no remedv but to \ield up our souls. [ 2 5] RUBA'IYAT OF OMAR KHAYYA'M RUBAIYAT OF OMAR KHAYYAM Bod., IX, 28 Gar., VI, a McG., 1 46 N.,255 Vill.,5i5 W., 295 Bod.,X,i Gar., I, i McC.,4i9 N., 4a6 VilL.Sig Von S., aa4 W.,463 F.G..V.I Gar., I, a Vill.,a4a W.,a33 Lo, dawn is rending night's dark veil in twain ; Arise ! Arise ! and morning's goblet drain ; Drive grief away, for many a rosy morn * Will seek us here, and seek us long in vain. And know ye why the herald of the day,* With clarion voice, peals forth his morning lay? "Behold," he cries, "the mirror of the dawn ; A precious night again has slipped away ! " Now w r akes Khurshyd f on yonder flaming height, And o'er the city flings a robe of light ; A, G, D, E, F.G.H A,C, D, E, V, G, H A.C.D, E, F, H (khurus-i-sahar), the morning cock 3 (khurshyd), the sun. RUBA'IYAT OF OMAR KHAYYA'M Bod., IX, 34 F.G.,V, 2 Gar., I, a5 McC., 188 N., i P., i Vill., i Von. S., i3g W., i Kai-Khosru-like* he fills the bowl of morn With golden winef to pledge the parting night. But ere the sun arose in flashing pride, Or Phantom Dawn J peeped through the mountain side, "Come fill our cups ere Fate our cups shall fill ! " A lusty voice from out the tavern cried. A,C, D, E, F,G,H * Kai-Khosru, the greatest monarch of the Sassanian dynasty, was noted for his lavish generosity. Omar more probably, however, refers to the mythical king of the Shah Namah, who is often identified with the Cyrus of the Greeks. f The Calcutta MS. reads *^i (muhrah), a stone, instead of Vii ^ (badah), wine, as appears in other MSS., and evidently inspired the opening quatrain of Mr. FitzGerald's first edition, a stanza much closer to Omar than the later variations, but which was believed by Mr. Aldis Wright to have been entirely original. Where the word muhrah is used, the meaning is that the sun casts a stone in the cup, but where badah is used, the meaning is that the sun pours wine in the cup. Throwing a stone in a cup is, of course, a signal among the wan- dering Arabs for breaking camp and starling upon a new journey. J The Phantom Dawn, or Subhi Kazim, is here introduced for the sake of local colour, although it is not found in the text of the quatrain. In Persia there are two dawns, the Subhi Kazim, or False Dawn, and the Subhi Sadik, or True Dawn. The False Dawn, which has all the appearance of daybreak, lakes place about two hours before the True Dawn, and is quickly followed by intense dark- ness. The Persians have for this phenomenon a fanciful explanation. They say that as the sun rises it shines through a hole in Mount Kaf and causes the appearance of daybreak. As it continues to ascend, the earth is again plunged r.3oi RUBA'IYAT OF OMAR KHAYYA'M Bod., I, 17 Gad., 108 F.G.,V, 77 H.A.,3 McC.,87 IV., 223 Vill.,465 Yon S., 17 W.,262 And better far, with Thee, in taverns learn, Than in the temple from Thy visage turn.* Oh, First and Last of all creation Thou,t Whate'er Thou wilt, or cherish me or burn. A, B,C,D, E,F,G,H into darkness until the sun reaches the crest of the mountain and brings with it the True Dawn, or Subhi Sadik. Compare Milton: " Ere the babbling Eastern scout, The nice morn on lh' Indian steep, From the cabin'd loop-hole peep." Vide page 107, Waring's "Tour to Sheeraz," London, 1807. The ancient Persians believed that the earth was flat and encircled by Mount Kaf; thus Rumi writes of the "world-encircling Kaf." 5 * i.e., "Repeat the nemaz at the mihrab without Thee." The nemaz are prayers which Muhammadans are enjoined to repeat five times daily. The mihrab is a praying-niche in a mosque, showing the direction of Mecca, toward which the worshipper turns. f J&3 , jjl (Awwal u Akhar). Compare Revelation XXII, i3: "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last." Arabic words like J^V and _^s.f were introduced into Persia by the Moslem conquerors, as words of Latin origin were introduced into England by the Aor- mans. There is this great difference, however, the English have assimilated the Latin and made it a part of their own language, while Arabic words and phrases introduced into Persia have not only largely retained their own forms, but have, by force of example, given Arabic inflections to many Persian words. Thus ruba'i becomes in the plural ruba'iyat, and navishlah becomes navishtajat, instead of retaining the Persian plural in ha. Latin words used in English. however, generally take the English inflection, while even those words which still retain the Latin termination often admit also of the English form. f 3! 1 RUBA'IYAT OF OMAR KHAYYA'M Cad. ,6 Elate 1 stand beside the fallen door,* A, B,C, D, (jar. ,1,0 Mv raimfint. nawnprl : hpnrh smil anrl ei,r t \i,n H.A.,7 McC.,45 N., 19 Vill.,28 VonS.,4i W.,aa 6 Elate I stand beside the fallen door,* My raiment paAvned ; heart, soul, and cup paid o er ; f And, flushed with wine, I know nor hope nor fear ; O'er fire and Avater, earth and air I soar. But lo, without, the year is young and fair,* And yearning hearts to stilly meads repair ; Bod., VI, 2 But lo, without, the year is young B, H Cad.,4o F.G., V,4 Gar., II, i H.A.,i3 Vill.,454 W.,n6 Sir William Jones admirably illustrates the difference between the unassimi- lated Arabic of the Persian and the assimilated Latin of the English, by quoting a passage from Middleton's Life of Cicero and rewriting the passage with many of the words in their unmodified Latin form after the manner of Arabic words used in Persia. The quotation illustrating the English structure reads: "The true law is right reason conformable to the nature of things, which calls us to duty by commanding, deters us from sin by forbidding." The Persian method is shewn thus : "The true lex is recta ratio conformable naturae, which by commanding vocet ad officium, by forbidding a fraude deterreat." 6 * ^l^> (kunj-i-kharab) is, literally, a corner of desolation. The Per- sian taverns were generally situated in desolate corners or in the ruins upon the outskirts of a town. ) Note the resemblance of the words ^l--^ (Jan), the soul ; f t (jam), a cup; and -.Li. (jama), a garment; all of which occur in the same line. hence, Spring. (bakhushi dastrasi) is, literally, a means of happiness; F3a 1 RUBA'IYAT OF OMAR KHAYYA'M Cad., 86 H.A.,8o McC., 91 N.,i86 Vill., 276 W.,201 The hand of Musa shines on ev'ry bough, f The breath of 'Jsa rises on the ar. 8 For now 't is Spring, when verdure clothes the land, And flow'rs gleam white as Musa's snowy hand ; The breath of 'Isa wakes the sleeping earth, And kindly rains refresh the thirsty sand.* A.B.C.D, F, G, II f The Persians hold that when Moses withdrew his hand from his hosom, as described in Exodus IV, 6, it was not " leprous as snow," but that it shone with a beautiful whiteness. J The Muhammadans believe that the breath of 'Isa (Jesus) has the power of raising the dead. 8 * Lit., In the hope of rain, the eyes (of the earth) open. Note the play upon the words f^> (chashm) hope, and ^ >-> (chashmha) eyes. Nicolas, however, reads if Aj ^ (dida) as a synonym for ^T*^ ' This stanza has been rendered into quaint Latin by FitzGerald : "Tempus est quo Orientis Aura mundus renovalur, Quo de fonte pluviali Dulcis Imber reservatur; Musi-Manus undecumque Ramos insuper splendescit ; Jesu-spiritusque Salutaris Terram pervagatur." l [331 RUBA'IYAT OF OMAR KHAYYA'M Cad., 87 H.A.,82 Vill.,275 W., 210 Bod., VIII, 28 Cad., 60 F.G.,V,6 H.A.,6 7 N.,i53 Vill.,2 9 4 VonS.,284 W.,i 7 4 9 The morning dews bedeck the tulip's face, The violets bend their heads with timid grace, And fairer still, the rosebud's pet- all' d veil Shields blushing cheek from Zeph- yr's soft embrace. 10 Nor warm, nor cold, the day dawns bright and fair, The rain-kissed flow'rs perfume the morning air ; And hark ! in Pahlavi * the bulbul f trills - "Come, drooping t rose, this dewy vintage share." B, F, H B, F, G, H 10 * Pahlavi was the language of the ancient Persians, in which, it was said, the nightingale continued to sing. Mr. FitzGcrald calls it "the old heroic Sanscrit," but it is, in reality, the name applied to the ancient Zoroastrian writings. Very many of its words were written in a form that gave no clue to their pronunciation, Persian words being represented by Semitic equivalents and these equivalents being pronounced and inflected like Persian, as when we write for the English word pound the Latin word libra, contracted into lb., but give it the English pronunciation pound and the English inflection by writing the plural /6s. Perhaps it was partly because Firdusi drew the themes of his great poem "The Shah Namah" from the ancient Pahlavi records, that his countrymen attributed so sweet a melody to this old Persian tongue. f Bulbul, the nightingale. J $j^ (zard) = yellow, sallow, pallid ; hence, sickly, drooping. [341 RUBA'IYAT OF OMAR KHAYYA'M McC.,4 Vill.,6o8 W.,35a Cad.,5i F.G.,V, 19 Gar., IV, 6 H.A.,43 H.P.,i6 Vill., 109 Von S., 101 W.,io4 II Then sings the rose, "As Yusuf's * flower I reign ; Come touch my lips and jewelled kisses gain." "Oh, lovely flow'r, then where is Yusuf s sign ?" " Behold, my silken robe with blood- red stain." 13 O'er beauty's grave the gentle zephyr blows, From beauty's cheek the blue-eyed violet grows ; And see, where royal crimson stained the sod, The flaming tulip blossoms near the rose.* F, H A,B,F,H Whinfield does not give A * Yusuf (Joseph) has been called the Adonis of the Persians. He was consid- ered the type of manly beauty. 13 * "Everywhere that a rose and a tulip bed hath been, From the crimson blood of a king hath it been ; Every violet that grows from the earth Is a mole that upon the cheek of a beauty hath been." This stanza has been rendered by Ralph Waldo Emerson thus : "Each spot where tulips prank their state Has drunk the life-blood of the great ; The violets yon field which stain Are moles of beauties, Time hath slain." [351 RUBA'IYAT OF OMAR KHAYYA'M Cad., 47 H.A.,32 Bod. ,11, 19 McC.,267 N.,i6g Vill.,3oo Von S., 97 Compare Cad. ,48 F.G.,V, i3 and 62 H.A.,34 H.P.,22 W., 94 and 1 08 i3 When Springtime * Avafts her per- fumes o'er the lea, By river's brink, with playmates fond and free,f I pledge my love in morning's joyful bowl, And what is mosque or synagogue to me 1 Some talk of Heav'n, where streams like Kusar * flow, And houris dwell,, and golden vine- yards grow ; But fill my cup and give me beauty here, Ah, give them now, and let the promise go B,F A,G i3 * jijrfxi (Fasl-i-gul) In time of roses; hence, Springtime. f Lit., With one, two, three young playmates like houris. (Lucknow Litho.) * The Kusar is a stream in Paradise. Vide Koran, chapter entitled "The Kusar." Compare Hafiz : To-morrow the waters of the Kusar and a houri await me; And to-day I enjoy a beautiful mistress and a cup of wine." [361 RUBA'IYAT OF OMAR KHAYYA'M Bod.,X,i6 F.G.,V,ia Gar. ,1,8 H.A.,i4g McC., 44g N.,4i3 Yill.,829 YonS., ia5 W.,452 Bod , IX, 8J Cad., i35 F.G.,V,4i H.A.,n8 McG.,a83 N.,2g4 P., 47 Vill.,6n Von S., 87 W.,33a 15 A book * of verses underneath the vine, A loaf of bread, a jug of ruby wine, And thou beside me, resting in the wild, Would make the dreary wilderness divine I f 16 See, morning dawns ; the rosy cup retain, And smash the crystal of repute again ; Thy lute is sweet, thy tresses soft as down, Ah, Heav'n is here, and future glory vain.* B, G, H B, F, G, H i5 * W>A ^, a diwan, is a collection of stanzas arranged in alphabetical order, the position of each being determined by the final letter of its rhyme-word. Lit., Is pleasanter than the realm of a sultan. iG jV, :>> j\^ * The lines signify : Let us renounce our hopes of Paradise, And toy with long, curling tresses and the fringe of the lute. RUBA'IYAT OF OMAR KHAYYA'M Gad., 43 H.A.,i 7 Compare F.G..V, 21 Cad., 52 F.G.,V,8 Gar., 1, 17 H.A.,47 McC., 1 48 N.,io5 Vill.,236and 287 VonS., 201 W.,i34 Sweet is the breeze that gently fans the rose ; Sweet, in the shade, to watch thy face repose : Oh, tell me not that yesterday was sweet ! To-day is sweet! To-morrow ah, who knows ? * 18 Whether at Balkh or Babylon,* we die; f Or sweet or bitter, soon the cup runs dry; Gome drink, my love, for many a silver moon Will Avax again and wane, where er we lie. A, B, C,D, E,F, H A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H 17 "To-morrow ah, who knows?" is an interpolation of the translator, which he believes other passages will justify. Vide quatrains 12 and 126, Ouseley MS. The best translation of this quatrain that has yet been made is probably the following, which was written for the Omar Khayyam Club of America by Mr. N. H. Dole:- "The breath of the early spring in the face of the Rose is sweet; The face of my Love in the shade of the garden-close is sweet; Naught thou canst say of the day that has faded away is sweet ; Be happy ; speak not of the past, for to-day as it glows is sweet ! " 18 * Nicolas and Whinfield read Nishapur, and the Ouseley MS., Baghdad. Babylon is here substituted for the sake of euphony, and because it is often used as a synonym for Baghdad in Oriental poetry. f The Ouseley MS. reads &j^> cr-* 5 * -J*& CJ>^ "since life passes"; but f" 38 1 RUBA'IYAT OF OMAR KlIAYYA'M Cad., 55 H.A.,5a McC., a 12 i\ . , I I 2 Vill.,357 Bocl.,IX,/, 9 Cad., it) Gar., Mil, <> II. A., 27 McC., 67 IN. ,48 P., II Vill.,ig6 Von S., i3o W.,5i '9 And love's bright path is hut the road A, B, , G to naught, Where Fate's rude talons have de- struction wrought; Oh lovely saki,t water ere I die, And tli is poor dust again to dust he brought! 20 I lay upon iny couch in slumber A, B.C, I). E, F, G, 11 deep,* And Wisdom cried aloud, "Oh, wherefore sleep? For sleep is kin to death ; drink while you may ; Eternal slumber hastens o'er the steep ! " Whinfield's text has a more beautiful phrase, x.T comes to the lips." 1 Since the soul * The spiritual meaning of the first two lines is. that the path of dhine love leads to the annihilation of the individual soul ; that we shall be destroyed in the talons of doom ( ,3^1 ), when the existence of the individual is merged in the divine fountain of universal life. Vide Introduction. ( Saki, cup-bearer. * The second line, which is omitted in the translation, is lilerally : "Never from sleep has the rose of joy bloomed for any one." RUBA'IYAT OF OMAR KHAYYA'M Bod.,V, i Gad., 1 1 F.G.,V,7i Gar., VII, i H.A.,3i McC.,86 N.,3i Vill., 191 W.,35 Bod.,V,8 Cad. ,32 F.G.,V, 7 a Gar., VII, 3 H.A.,4i McG.,3g N., 9 5 ViH.,79 Von S., 83 W., 9 6 Bod., V. 38 F.G..V, 10 McC.,3 9 o N.,4i6 Vill., 79 8 W.,455 All fearless, then, Avhile mortal frame shall be, Stand firm within the bounds of destiny ; A, B, C, D, E.F.G.H 21 Ere yet the dawn of Azal* shed its liglit O'er dreary chaos and the realms of night, The Pen, unmoved by good and evil, wrote ; Nor grief can change, nor endless toil rewrite. 22 And ev'ry sorrow, all our passing A, B, C,D, mirth, E.FG.H . . t W. does not Was long predestined, ere creation s give B birth ; But blame not Heav'n, for all is fore- ordained, And Heav'n more helpless than the helpless earth. 23 A. C, D, E, F, G, H * Jjt (Azal) signifies "eternity without beginning." Whinfield and ISicolas, however, read _ r .AjLr_ J \ i | (Andar takdir) "in destiny," for i^Jv* (Dar ruz-i-Azal) "on the dav of eternity without beginning," as appears in the Ouseley MS. The opposite of Azal (JJ) is Abad ( j.| ), which signifies "eternity without end." I 4o RUBA'IYAT OF OMAR KHAYYA'M Cad., 89 Gar., VII, 5 H.A.,54 Compare F.G.,V, 7 i Bod., VII, 4 Cad.,3o F.G.,V,i3 Gar., XII, 5 H.A.,4o Yield naught to foe, though Rustam, son of Zal,* iSor take from friend, though Hatim Tai f were he. For what is written, be it long or brief, Remains the same, nor tears can give relief; No drop of destiny is less nor more, Though naught you know but life- long pain and grief. a5 I know not what the Lord hath made my share, The joy of Heav'n the Hell of deep despair ; * A, B,C, D. K. G, H 23 * Zal, a hero who lived in the reign of kai Kawus. Rustam, a mighty warrior who, with his famous horse, Rukhsh, rescuer! Kai Kawus from a fortress-prison guarded by a hundred demons. The exploits of Zal and Rustam are sung by Firdu-i in his great historical poem, the Shah >amah. | Hatim Tai, a generous Arab prince. a5 * Nicolas reads -*** ^ A fa >' * (bud ahl bihisht khub) instead of v^iS ..- ijfc >1 -,{ (az ahl bihisht guft) as appears in the Ouseley MS., and this changes the meaning from "I know not whether He who moulded me, destined me to dwell in Heaven or horrible Hell," to "I know not whether He who moulded me was a dweller in Heaven or horrible Hell." RUBA'IYAT OF OMAR KIIAYYA'M McC.,3i4 But wine and beauty fill me with delight, And Earth is here, and Paradise is - where ? I" 26 The secret 's hidden from the mortal eye, Nor living soul can read the mystery; Save in the heart of earth, we have no rest ; So fill the bowl, 'twill soon be time to die.* 27 How long shall I throw bricks upon the sea?* I scorn such tricks of vain idolatry ! Say not Khayyam is surely doomed to Hell. Who knows of Hell, or Heav'n, or if they be?f N.,ga P., 19 Vill.,8g VonS.,245 W.,04 Bod., IV, i Cad., 1 4 H.A.,29 McC.,19 N.,44 Yill.,6o Von S., no W.,4? Cad., 45 H.A.,i8 Yill.,2o8 A, B, C, D, E.F.G.H A, B.C,D, E,F,H t This line is a paraphrase for "These are cash to me; let thine be the credit, Heaven." aG * Lit. Drink wine, for such fables are not short. * i. e. "How long shall I perform empty ceremonies?" H. A. f Heron-Allen reads : ~4< ; ^^, &,*, ^ *j "Who ever 'went to Hell, and who ever came from Heaven?" Whinfield, however, reads: ^~^ *-" >^ ** > &>** ^-> u "One while in Heaven, and one in Hell is he." [4s] RUBA'IYAT OF OMAR KHAYYA'M Bod., IV, 8 F.G.,\,56 McG.,276 N.,i65 Vill., 2g5 Von S., 270 W.,i83 Cad.,n4 H.A.,102 H.P.,ii McG.,85 N.,a4a Vill.,493 Von S., io5 W.,28a Bod., IV, 9 Cad., 65 H.A., 7 2 McG.,266 28 And oh, how long engrossed in self remain ? How long o'er futile problems* strive in vain ? The path of life but leads thee to the grave ; So drink and dream, and dream and drink again. 2 9 And when thou hast some ruby wine, rejoice ; Or canst in beauty's arms recline, rejoice ; Since all that is, must surely end in naught, Think thou art naught while life is thine, rejoice. 3o No mind has solved the tangled mys- tery, Nor passed the orbit * of eternity ; f 28 A,C,D, E, F, G, H A. B.C.D, E,F,G,II A,C,D,E, F,G,H * The problems of existence and non-existence. 3o * y.b (dairah) = orbit. Whinfield reads jljj (nihad) nature, meaning that no one has set foot beyond the bounds of his own nature. f Inline Aii \}j\ j\j\ Jii. jJ , note the accusative termination \> affixed to the genitive case of the word l);\ (azal-ra). [43] RUBA'IYAT OF OMAR KHAYYA'M N.,i 7 5 \ill.,356 Von S., 289 W., 190 Bod., IX, 100 Gar.,XII,3 McC.,329 N.,43o Vill.,835 W.,465 Bod.,X, 29 Gar., 1, 35 McC.,3i5 N.,455 Vill., 7 64 Von S., a46 W.,484 'Tis daAvn, oh friend of joyful foot, draw nigh; Fill high the bowl, salute the rosy sky. From Tyr to Dai * the months re- morseless roll And drag to death e'en mighty Jam f and The teacher and the tyro both are blind, And grope amid the darkness help- lessly. 3i But though you reach Aristo's lofty j G, H plane,* Or o'er imperial Rome, like Caesar, reign, Drain Jamshyd's cup, your end must be the grave Though Bahram's self; dust turns to dust again. 82 A,C,D,F, G,H 3i * In the text, Jamhur is coupled with Aristo as an example of wisdom ; and Faghfur, emperor of China, with Caesar, as an example of power. t Compare Firdusi's line, tr-> j>**- j f*l>sv; _,-. $\ (az khak), from earth, instead of (chun ab), like water, as appears in the Ouseley MS. [46] RUBA'IYAT OF OMAR KHAYYA'M Bod.,V,43 McG.,54 N.,25 Vill., 9 8 Von S., 28 W.,2 9 Bod.,V,3 3 F.G.,V,44 Gar.,XIII,n H.A.,i45 McC.,45g N.,3 9 4 Vill., 7 59 Von S., 10 W.,436 Ah, better far to Earth I ne'er had come Than come, live, go, and taste of life no more ! * Then oh, my soul, why on this dust bestow The wretched boon of life, the pain, the woe And all the passions that possess mankind, To leave it dust again whene'er you go? 4o This spirit, freed from mortal bonds, could soar Back through the realms of space to Heaven's door ; Its proper home lies o'er the azure sky, And shame it was to touch this earthly shore. 38 * Compare Milton, Paradise Lost, Book XI, lines 502-607: " Better end here unborn. Why is life given To be wrested from us? Rather why Obtruded on us thus? Who, if we knew What we receive, would either not accept Life offer'd, or soon beg to lay it down, Glad to be so dismissed in peace? " A,C,D,E, F,G,H A,B,C,D, F,G,H RUBA'IYAT OF OMAR KHAYYA'M Bod., 1, 3 1 Cad., 43 F.G..V.66 H.A.,i5 Vill.,58 Von S.,335 W.,n4 Bod. ,111, io Cad. ,28 F.G.,Y,67 Gar.,X,6 H.A.,33 McC.,98 IS'., 90 YonS., 269 W.,92 high oer 4i When life first dawned * this mortal cell,f Long sought my soul where Pen and Tablet J dwell, Sought Hell and Heav'n, and heard the Master say - cs Behold, within thyself, the heav'n and hell ! " 4a Heav'n is the tranquil j oy of in ward res t , And Hell, the anguish of a soul dis- tress'd ; The azure sky is but the robe we wear. And Jihun's * flood, the tears of hearts oppress'd. B,F,H A,B,C,D, E.F.G.H 4i j (ruz-i-nukhust) is literally "on the day of the beginning." -> .** (bartar 'z sipihr) higher than the sphere. j} (luh u kalam) are the pen and the tablet with which the decrees of Fate were said to have been written. Lit. Tablet and pen and heaven and hell are within thee. Compare the following lines of Rumi : "The sev'nth earth I traversal the sev'nth heav'n explor'd, But in neither discern'd I the Court of the Lord ! I questioned the Pen and the Tablet of Fate, But they whispered not where He pavilions His state; My vision I strain'd, but my God-scanning eye No trace, that to Godhead belongs, could descry. My glance I bent inward, within my own breast, Lo, the vainly sought elsewhere! the Godhead confess'd ! " Translation by Prof. F. Falconer in the Asiatic Journal, quoted by Mr. Ddn- can Forbes. 43 * Jihun, the River Oxus. [48] RUBA'IYAT OF OMAR KHAYYA'M Bod., VIII, 5 F.G.,V,i 7 Gar.,V, 3 McC.,i4o N.,67 Vill.,i99 Von S., 48 W..7O Cad., 87 F.G.,V,3o H.A.,31 Vill., 9 4 VonS.,i46 Bod.,I,i3 Gar., VIII, 1 4 McC.,70 N.,5o vm.,68 VonS.,i35 W.,53 And Earth is but a caravanserai, A resting place of fleeting night and day, The remnant of a feast, where Jam- shy d sate, The tomb * of many a Bahram passed away. 44 Thrust into life Avithout my OAvn consent, Thrust back to death, with who knows what intent ? Arise, bright saki, fill the cup with wine And drown the burden of my dis- content. 45 And on that day when Heav'n is rent in twain, And stars grow dim, and shining planets wane, I'll seize the -Master by the robe and cry: - "Why cast us thus from life to death again ? " A,C,D,E, F.G.II A,B,C,D, A,C,D,E, F, G, H 43 * Whinfield reads _,_3 (gur), the tomb, while Ihe Calcutta MS. reads j-* (kasr), the palace. I have followed Mr. Whinfield's reading because the use of the word gur, which was also Bahrain's surname, is a play upon words after Omar's own heart. 4 [4Q] RUBA'IYAT OF OMAR KHAYYA'M Bod., V, 36 F.G..V.97 Gar. ,11, 7 McC.,44o N.,4oo Vill.,820 VonS., 170 W.,442 Bod. ,11, 10 Cad. ,3 Gar., i, a3 H.A.,6 McG.,24 N..II Yill.,20 Von S., i4i W.,io Bod., IV, 2 F.G.,V,53 McC.,6g N.,4g * Vill.,77 Von S., 23 W.,52 46 Ah, would this earth did yield a place of rest To pilgrims by the long, long road oppress'd, Whence, alter many a year, we might return, As trampled flow rs return from Na- ture's breast ! 47 Men call the Koran ' ' Fount of Sacred Lore," "The Word Supreme," and, hasty, glance it o'er ; But on the goblet's rim a text is writ * That all shall read and ponder ever- more. 48 And if your heart life's secret only knew, Then, knowing death, 'twould know God's secret too ; If, living, you know naught, what . will you know When death has come and you 're no longer you ? A,C,D,E, G,H A,B,D,E, F.G.II A,G,D,F, G,H * oi*j. I ( a y a O ma y mean either a mark, such as was used on a goblet for measuring, or a verse from the Koran. [Bo] RUBA'IYAT OF OMAR KIIAYYA'M Bod., VIII, 9 F.G..V.47 Gar., XIII, 8 McC., 210 N., i23 P.. 23 Vin.,3 9 5 VonS., 296 W.,ioo Bod., VIII, 1 3 F.G.,V,/i6 Gar., VIII, 5 McC., a35 N.,i3 7 Vill.,397 Von S., 290 F.G.,V, 7 o H.P.,25 Vill.,682 Von S., Il6 W.,4oi 19 But earth shall roll, as long it rolled before Our names were lost, our footprints all grown o'er ; 'T was long completed ere we touched its soil, And Avhen we 're gone 't will be no less nor more. 5o Khayyam, although this canopy of blue Veils all the myst'ries from your mortal view, Know this, th' eternal saki oft hath seen In life's deep cup a myriad things * like you. 5i Naught speaks the ball, but right or left it goes, As Fate's relentless mallet * strikes the blows ; A,C,D,E, F,H (hubab) is, literally, a bubble. 5i * tyL$j-;> (chugan) is the mallet used in the game of cbugan, or polo. f 5i I RUBA'IYAT OF OMAR KHAYYA'M Bod., 1, 12 F.G.,V,34 Gar., XI, 5 McC.,236 N.,ao4 Vill.,448 Von S., a35 W.,247 Bod.,V, 19 Cad.,io8 F.G.,V,6g Gar., VII, 4 H.A.,94 McC.,6i N., 3 3i Vill.,48o YonS.,i44 W.,270 But He who toss'd thee to the game's mad rush f He knows the reason, aye, He knows, He knows ! | 62 And Thou whom all creation fain would find, The waters speak Thy name, the whisp'ring wind ; But all are deaf; Thy face is ever near, But none, alas, can see, for all are blind I 53 Like helpless chessmen on the check- ered blocks, We 're hither, thither moved, till Heaven knocks The luckless pieces from the crowded board, And one by one returns them to the box. B,F,G,H f ^ , >& (tag u pu) is the racing and searching after the ball. The Calcutta MS. reads ,* , JL (tag u du), the racing and galloping. J The last line has a weird sound, not unlike the notes of the wood pigeon at nightfall, thus: U danad, U danad, U danad, U ! breaking off suddenly upon the personal pronoun U. (He knows, He knows, He knows, He!) [6s] RUBA'IYAT OF OMAR KHAYYA'M W.,ia3 Bod., VI, ' 4 F.G.,V, 9 6 Gar., IV, 4 McC.,233 N.,ia8 P., a5 Vill.,334 Von S., 62 W.,i55 Cad.,3g F.G..V, 24 and 63 H.A.,35 Vill., i84 54 And oh, what hearts the cruel Wheel hath crushed ! How many a flower the hand of steel hath crushed ! Nor youth, my son, nor beauty can avail - Full many a bud the ruthless heel hath crushed. 55 And now the page of life is sear and rent, The blossoms fade and fall, the spring 'is spent ; Ah, lovely bird of youth, so quickly gone, I marked not when you came nor when you went. 56 So fill the bowl, swift passes life's brief day, And oh ! th' eternal bed of chilly clay ! * 56 F,H A,C,D,F, A,R,C,D, E,H * Lit. "Drink wine, for thou wilt sleep long beneath the clay." ^5 , how- ever, may be read g'd or gul, and hence may signify either clay or roses, the meaning being dependent upon the accent. Whinfield's text and Heron-Allen's transcript of the Ouseley MS. have the accent Kasra, and thus make it clay. The Ouseley MS. itself, however, has no accent; while the Calcutta MS. has the accent Zamma, which would make it roses. [531 RUBA'IYAT OF OMAR KHAYYAM W., 107 Compare Von S . , 3 1 5 No friend, no song, no wine, no love, ! f and 198 The flow'r that dies is ever passed away. 67 F.G.,V, 16 ^ea, grasp the cup,* for all we love Bod., VIII, 72 McC.,46i N.,372 Vill.,7i5 Von S.,ga W.,4i5 O'er which the tendrils of our hearts have grown, Melt swift as morning dews beneath the sun, Shine one brief hour, and then, alas, are gone ! 58 And though the cup be full and sweet, what then ? The last brief day of life must come, what then ? Although you 've lived an hundred years of joy, Or have an hundred years to live, what then ? A,C,D,E, F,H A,C,D,E, F.G.H f Lit. "Without a familiar and without a companion and without a friend or wife." * i. e. Enjoy the good things of life. There are several variations of this quatrain. FitzGerald translates from A, 266. [54] RUBA'IYAT OF OMAR KHAYYA'M Bod., IV, i4 Cad., 101 F.G.,V,64 Gar., VIII, 7 McC.,i6o N.,2i7 Vill.,46a W.,258 Bod., VIII, 6 Cad. ,2i F.G..V, 18 Gar.,V, a McC., i5i N.,6 9 Yill.,2o5 VonS., 199 W., 7 a Bod., VIII, Go F.G.,II,2o Gar.,V,4 McC., 364 N.,35o 59 And think, from all the myriads gone before, Not one returns to 'count the journey o'er ; So yield up naught for hope of prom- . ised bliss ; Departed once, thou shall return no more. 60 In yonder mansion of the mighty dead, Where Bahram feasted, prowling lions tread, And where his cunning lasso caught the gur,* Behold, the gur has closed o'er Bali- ram' s head. 61 And yonder palace tow'ring to the blue, Where kings, in homage, to the por- tals drew, A,C,D,E, F,G,H A,C,D,E, F.G.H A,C,D,E, F.G.II 60 * Gur signifies either {he wild ass or the grave. Bahram met his death in a quicksand while chasing the gur. Note the alliteration in this quatrain; the similar sounds of gaf and kaf occur- ring thirteen times in the four lines. [551 RUBA'IYAT OF OMAR KHAYYA'M Vill.,677 Von S., 189 W.,3g2 Bod., VIII, 33 Gar.,V, i McG.,5o N., 2 3 7 Vill.,492 VonS., 119 w.,2 77 McC., 292 M.,ig8 Vill.,435 W.,242 I heard the lonely ring-dove moaning there, And sobbing soft her plaintive "Coo, coo, coo ?* And once, at Tus,* from off an aged bough, Methought a raven lit upon the brow Of Khosru's skull, f and thus it spake, " Oh, king, What clarion hails thy royal glory now ?" 63 Wide yawns the tomb Avhere you and I, sweet friend, Shall each, in turn, to lifeless dust descend ! Oh draught of death that steeps the very soul In dreamless sleep, unconscious to the end ! * A,C,F,G, H A,C,D,E, F.G.H 61 * Ku, ku, ku = Where? Where? Where? jr (ku) is an abbreviation of (^j (kuja). 62 * Tus was the mediaeval capital of Khorasan. f For the sake of meter, Khosru is substituted for Kai Kawus. It is remark- able that Mr. J. H. McCarthy has done the same thing in a prose translation. 63 * jUi >,, (ruz-i-shamar), the Day of Reckoning. [561 RUBA'IYAT OF OMAR KHAYYA'M Bod. ,11, 8 Cad., 1 3 Gar., VIII, 8 H.A.,23 McC.,i8 N.,43 Von S.,g4 W.,46 Bod. ,11, 12 Cad., 9 1 H.A.,gi McC.,3a3 N.,aoo Vill.,433 W.,244 Bod., VI, 5 Cad., 6 1 F.G.,V,i5 Gar., I, 27 H.A.,68 64 Khayyam,*why drown thyself in sor- row here ? What though thy sins like ocean sands appear? Mercy can reach thee, though it pass the pure ; 'T is made lor sinners, wherefore dost thou fear ? 65 Go toss commandment * to the pass- ing wind, Nor with tradition f keep thy soul confined ; Pay hate with love, enjoy the ruddy wine, Nor fear the grave, nor what there is behind. 66 Ere Fate lay low thy head, the goblet drain, Bring forth the rosy cup and staunch thy pain ; 65 A.B.C.D, A,B,C,D, E.F.G.II A,B,C,D, E,F,G,H * The Farizat are the divine ordinances. f The Sunnat, or Traditions, are held in great reverence by Muhammadans, Whinfield reads, \' '< * ( " jVSti; ^^. ^JLX^ 9 v^P* *^--AJL "Heed not the Sunnat, nor the law divine," which is nearly identical with the O use ley MS. Nicolas reads, "Des dogmes de la religion n'admets que ce qui t'oblige envers la Divinile." RUBA'IYAT OF OMAR KHAYYA'M McC., 277 N.,i56 Yill.,28i W.,i 7 5 Cad.,i43 H.A.,123 N.,32 7 Vill.,664 W.,368 Cad.,5o H.A.,36 Vill.,97 W.,io6 Bod.,V,n F.G.,V, 7 5 McC., 219 IV. ,110 \ill.,28 9 Oh, heedless fool, art thou a golden store That men will bury and dig up again ? 67 Drink, if thou Avilt, or fail to watch and pray, Or break the fasts, or plunder by the way ; Hear now the Word of Truth from old Khayyam, - No loving heart can wander far astray. 68 And when the rose shall bloom o'er Nature's shrine, And friends invite, and buoyant youth is thine, Lift high the bowl eternal life is there And drown thy sorrows in the joys of wine. 69 When Allah set the steeds of Heaven free, Loosed bright Panvm * and shining Mushtari,f * Parwin, the Pleiades. 69 58 A,B,C,D, E.F.G.H B,F,H A,C,D,E, F;G,H f Mushtari, Jupiter, RUBA'IYAT OF OMAR KHAYYA'M Von S., a64 Bod., II, a McC., 287 N.,2G8 Vill.,542 Yon S., 807 W.,3n Bod., VII, 17 Cad., 116 H.A.,io5 N.,24 9 Yill.,5o8 W.,288 My life, my lot, by Kismat J was ordained ; And all my sins are part of Des- tiny. 70 Who fashioned me of moistened clay ? Not I! Who spun my silk and wool array ? Not I ! And who the good and ill of all my life Upon my forehead wrote ? Not I ! Not I ! ! 7 1 Then mark my scanty virtues one hy one, And, ten by ten, forgive the wrongs I 've done ; Nor fan the flame, and, by the Proph- et's tomb, The fire will die and anger's heat be gone. A,C,D,E, G,H B,F,G,II Kismat, Fate. [59] Bod. ,I,a Cad., 129 H. A., 109 McC.,3i7 N.,282 Vill.,543 W.,333 Bod., II, 22 F.G.,V,8o Gar., VIII, 2 H.A.,i48 McC.,3 9 6 IS., 890 P., 55 Yill.,822 VonS.,i68 W.,432 N.,38o \ ill., 354 7 2 My nature oft o'ercomes my might, A,B,C,D, alas!* F > G ' H My deeds bring woe, howe'er I fight, alas ! And though I trust God's pardon shall be mine, The shame will never leave my sight, alas ! 73 But thou who settest in the way a B,G,H snare, With threats of hell for all who stumble there, Almighty Spirit, whom the spheres obey, Is mine the sin, or Thine the greater share ? 7A Whate'er my life, it dawned at thy j A,C,D,F, command, Whate'er my nature, 'tis what Thou hast plann'd ; Nor worse, nor better, than it came from Thee A helpless thing, the creature of Thy hand. G,H * Lit. "What can I do?" The throwing back of the rhvme-\vord several syllables often occurs in the ruba ijat. [60] RUBA'IYAT OF OMAR KHAYYA'M Bod., IX, 66 Cad., 53 F.G.,V,48 Gar. ,1,32 H.A.,6o McC.,i65 N.,io6 Vill.,25l VonS., 276 W.,i36 Bod., X, 3 1 F.G.,V, 9 8 Gar.,XUI,9 McC.,448 N.,457 \'ill.,84i VonS., 238 W.,486 Bod., V, 2 5 F.G.,Y, 99 Gar., IV, 8 McC.,3 7 8 N.,34o P.,5a Vill.,64i VonS., 1 1 W.,3 79 7 5 The caravan of life moves strangely on, It wanes and fades, then waxes clear anon ; Why fret, bright saki, o'er to- morrow's doom ? Gome, fill the goblet, ere the night be gone ! But oh, that God would make this world anew, Before mine eyes rebuild it, fair and true, Or from the roll of life blot out my name, Or take from life my wrongs and burdens too. 77 If I were God, how swift mine anger dire Would swep away this universe en- tire And build a better, where the soul, set free, Might sometimes reach its inmost heart's desire. A,B,C,D, E.F.G.H G,H A,C,D,E, F.G.H 61 RUBA'IYAT OF OMAR KHAYYA'M H.A.,49 Bod., IV, 4 Cad. ,62 H.A.,5i McG., i g5 ]N 7 .,i5 7 P.,3i VilL.aSg Von S., 289 W.,i 7 6 Bod.,X,4o Cad.,88b F.G.,V,65 Gar., XII, 7 IN., 464 A voice that haunts the path of pleas- ure * calls, And ev.'ry hour the awful warning falls - " Know now, forever, when you die, YOU DIE, And Spring's soft voice no human soul recalls ! " 79 Then oh, what profit to the sphere * my hirth ? Or, when I die, what will my death be worth ? Or who beneath the vault of Heav'n can tell Or why we come, or Avhy we leave the earth ? 80 And though they be the noble and the wise, Though prophets come and lofty seers arise, A,B,C,D, E,F,H A,B,C,D, E,F,G,H A,C, D.E, F, G, H * Lit. This intellect that searches the path of happiness. 79 * ^ >A (gardiin) is the celestial sphere. [6al RUBA'IYAT OF OMAR KHAYYA'M Vill.,366 VonS., 162 W..2O9 Bod., IV, 3 F.G.,V, 2 6 McC.,252 N., 1 20 Vill.,328 VonS., 267 W., 147 Cad., 80 H.A.,48 ViH.,2go W., 222 Bod., IV, 20 Cad., 1 1 3 H.A.,ioi McC.,82 IS., 2^0 Vill.,507 W.,28o E'en these emerge not from the sable night, But tell their dreams and then reclose their eyes. 81 And those who led the mighty hosts of thought, And scaled the heav'ns and many a myst ry sought, Became amazed whene'er they thought of Thee, Their minds were dizzied and their wisdom naught. 82 And we who love to drain the flagon deep, And ye who pray and nightly vigils keep, We neither know, we both are cast adrift ; But One, He knows; the rest are fast asleep. 83 Take counsel, then, and give thine ear to me, For Allah's sake cast off hypocrisy ; The future is forever, earth but now ; For one brief hour sell not eternity. "~[631 A,C, F, G, H B, F.II A,B.C, L), RUBA'IYAT OF OMAR KHAYYA'M Cad., 78 F.G., V,54 H.A.,5o Vill.,a67 W.,ai6 Bod.,X, 9 Cad., 98 F.G.,V,3 7 Gar., Ill, 9 H.A.,8 9 H.P.,7 McC.,a45 N.,3II P., 36 Vill.,434 W.,a53 Bod., III. 3 Cad., 10 F.G.,V,36 Gar., Ill, 3 H.A.,9 McC., 7 3 N.,a8 Vill.,8o VonS.,5 W.,3a 84 " Oh, learned fools," the voice of Wisdom saith. ' ' Why spend the hours in talk of life and death ? 'T is dried up fruit, go taste the vine instead ; On what can ne'er be known, why waste your breath ? " 85 When in the market-place I stopped one day To watch a potter pounding his fresh clay, The clay addressed him in a mystic tongue ' ' Once I was man, so treat me gently, pray ! " 86 Then thought I how that handle once embraced With yearning touch some peri- slender waist ; And how, perchance, those sad, complaining lips In rapture, once, on other lips were placed. B,H A, B,C,D, E, F, G, H A,B,C,D, E, F, G, H * This quatrain is not a faithful paraphrase. The last line, \>&z j>* .>- t'.n-=*vc. i>(-$ , is so ohscure that, as Mr. Heron- Allen remarks, it bailies satisfactory translation. [641 RUBA1YAT OF OMAR KHAYYA'M Bod. ,VIII, 7 Gar., III. 7 McC., 270 N.,119 P. ,22 Vill.,264 VonS.,4 Bod. ,111, 7 McC., id', N.,76 Vill.,i82 VonS.,iG3 W., 7 8 F.G.,V,3a McC. ,2 Vill.,6a8 W.,38ij 87 But on the potter sped, nor seemed to feel The touching pathos of his clay's appeal, Nor thought hcnv some poor, helpless human frame Lay prone before him on the busy wheel. 88 Oh, thoughtless man, this mortal clay is naught ; - The azure vault of Heav'n itself is naught ; - Then take what joy you may, your very life Is but a passing breath and that is naught ! No mortal eye can find the hidden key, Nor read the secret of eternity ; * Of Thee and me, behind the veil, they speak, But when 'tis rent, no more of Thee and me. t F,(J,H A, C, D, E. F, II 89 * Ji' .l~< ( Asrar-i-Azal), the secret of eternilv. Compare Qualrain iSo. 3d. f The \\orld-figmenl of Duality (Thee and me) disappears when the veil of human illusion i ; rent and all are one in God. 3 I 65 I UUBA'IYAT OF OMAR KHAYYA'M Bod., VII, 4i H.A.,i4o McC.,34i IS., 384 Vill., 7 3 9 Von S . , 1 60 W.,4a8 (Compare F.G.,V,a8 Bod.,V,ao Gar., X, 8 McG.,63 N.,333 Vill.,484 Von S . , 1 90 Bod.,I,a5 Gar., XI, 6 McG., 101 N : ,3g Vill., 192 Von S-.gS W.,43 9 For oh, bright saki, they who passed before, To dust have dropped beyond the mystic door ; Their lofty themes have turned to empty wind, And now their lips lie locked for evermore. 9 1 A,B, C, D, That ancient puzzle* of the spheres, ' A, C, D, E ah me, F.G.H What endless toil to read the mystery ! T is but a phantom from the bound- less deep, Blown back again o'er death's mys- terious sea ! But life shall rise from death on F, G.II soaring wing, And all our fears from baseless visions spring ; Since Isa's breath revived my wearied soul, Where art thou, death? Oh, grave, where is thy sting ! * * The Mava or illusion of life. 9 1 * Li I.- "Eternal death has washed its hands of mv being." [661 RUBA'IYAT OF OMAR KHAYYA'M Bod. ,I,i McC.,439 N.,365 Vill.,727 Von S., 1 20 W., 4io 93 Sad, severed from the sea, a rain-drop sighed ; And, smiling gently, thus the sea replied : - " Oh, naught divides us, for in God we dwell, But one in all, for all in One abide."* G,H 93 * This quatrain scarcely admits the possibility of a satisfactory translation. Omar tells us that in truth there is none other but God, in whom we are all one; and that it is only by the revolution of a single point that we are separated. The point to which he refers is the dot in the word V.V*^ (Khuda), the God who is the fountain of life and from whom we are only temporarily separated. At the soul's birth, it may be said, the revolution of the point commences, and \^>s. (Khuda) becomes \\j> (juda), a word indicating separation. But the separation is not forever. As the point continues to revolve, \^C> (juda) again becomes \\jv (Khuda); and finally our souls are reabsorbed in the divine fountain whence they came. This stanza, considered in connection with stanzas 101, 102, and 108, appears to indicate the conclusion to which Omar's knowledge of natural philosophy had led him. Matter is, to him, indestructible, eternal, although its form is capable of endless changes; the human body of to-day is the earthen vessel or the fragrant flower of to-morrow; the verdure that clothes the river's bank to-day was, yesterday, the form of a lovely woman; and even the very dust beneath our feet was once, perhaps, the beaming eye of a ravishing beauty. So, too, the philosopher-poet must have seen that energy is indestructible, now taking one shape, now another; ever with us indeed, but often hiding its presence behind the mask of an unknown form. To-day, the rays of a summer sun fall upon the snowy peaks of the distant mountains, and to-morrow the snow is a mighty river rushing onward to the sea; to-day, the sun smiles upon the ocean, coaxing its vapours up to Heaven, and to-morrow a gentle rain falls upon the face of the thirsty soil; now, the hot iron is plunged into the vessel of cold water and its heat is lost, but the water has become warmer, for that which was lost has been found. Hence, arguing from analogy, Omar seems to have considered life as a thing indestructible, changeable in form, as matter and energy are changeable, and, [67 1 RUBA'IYAT OF OMAR KHAYYA'M vm., 68 9 W.,4oo Bod.,V,5 Gad., 1 5 H.A.,24 McC.,62 N.,46 P..9 Vill.,i77 VonS.,i33 W.,4 9 Oh Thou my strength, my very be- ing s whole, Heart of my heart, and soul within my soul, From Thee alone I come, and Thou art mine, My source, my life, my parting spir- it's goal.* 95 And though in synagogue, mosque, school, or cell, Men, seeking Heav'n and fearing Sheol, dwell ; Yet he \vho knows the secret truth of God Sows no such chaff and scorns the fear of Hell.* F, H A, B,C,D, E.F.G.H like them, eternal, immortal. Thus, when our turn comes, we shall sufler no more separation, but, led back from \ vkrs. (separation) to \Jo^ (God), we shall rest once more upon the bosom whence we sprang. While the conclusion thus reached is in accordance with the Vedanta doctrine of the reabsorption of the individual soul in the Impersonal Self, the Vedanta philosophers taught that all matter was part of the world-figment, a mere illusion, and hence not eternal; but whether Omar shared this view, or arrived at his con- clusion in the way I have suggested, his belief in the ultimate reabsorption of the soul in God is beyond doubt. 9* * This quatrain evidently refers to the Sufi belief that we finally return to the Fountain of Life. 95 * "Souls reabsorbed in the Divine Essence have no concern with the material Heaven and Hell." \\HINFIELD. [681 RUBA'IYAT OF OMAR KHAYYA'M F.G.,V,48 Vill.,43i W.,a54 Bod., VIII, 53 F.G..V, 2 5 Gar., XII, 12 McC.,434 N.,33 7 P.,5i Vill.,638 VonS.,8 W.,3-6 Bod., I, 38 F.G.,V,5o Gar.,VlII,i6 McC.,46 IN., 20 Vill.,i3o W.,24 96 Deep from the circle of the hidden sphere, To each, in turn, the cup of death draws near ; Then do not sigh, but when it comes to thee, Take thou the cup and drink it with- out fear. 97 And ye who ponder over creed and prayer, And ye who, dazed by doubt, well- nigh despair, Oh, hear the voice that, sudden, cries aloud "Fools, the right path is neither there, nor there ! " 98 'T is but a breath betwixt the false and true, 'Twixt faith and doubt, and soul and body too ; Oh, carpe diem! all that life can give Is one short breath, and then ah, would we knew ! [69] A,C, D,E, F,H A,C,D,F, G, H A,C,D,E F.G.1I RUBA'IYAT OF OMAR KHAYYA'M Bod., VII, 44 McG.,345 N.,38 9 Vill.,775 W.,43i Compare F.G..V, 35 Cad.,4g H.A.,3 9 Yill.,57 W.,io5 Bod., 1, 3a F.G.,V,5i Gar.,X, i McG.,58 N., 7 3 Vill., i 7 5 Von S., 62 W., 7 5 99 Embarrassed offspring of the primal four, And sev'nfold Heav'n, the myst'ry whelms thee o er ; Drink deep, my friend, I've told thee many a time, Departed once, thou shall return no more. 100 The wine 's a ruby and the cup a mine ; The cup is body, and the soul is wine ; But ah, the crystal cup contains a tear, - A bleeding heart is hidden in the vine. 101 And lo, this vintage* running through the veins Of all creation, o'er creation reigns; In plants and creatures many a form sustains, And though they die, the essence still remains, f A,C,D,E, F,G,H B,F,H A,C,D,E, F,G,H * For U $ (an badah), that vintage, as Wbiofield, Nicolas, and others read, the Calcutta MS. reads ,^ ^\ (an mah), that moon, a variation which perhaps was intended for ^~ T (an mai), that vintage, a reading that would accord better with the other texts. f The later followers of the Vedanta sages taught that the soul can pass through many conditions, from the lowest terrestrial organism to that of a god- like denizen of Heaven, by a process of gradual development ; but that, however [70! RUBA'IYAT >F OMAR KHAYYA'M Bod., VIII, 92 F.G.,V,a3 McG.,i56 N., 7 o Vill.,i8 7 VonS., 5o W., 7 3 Bod., VI, a4 F.G.,V,20 Gar., IV, 3 McC.,i23 N.,5g Vill.,6i VonS. ,84 W.,6a Bod. ,111, 4 Gar., VI, 7 McC.,75 N.,2 9 Vill.,n3 IO2 . V t . i And when, the clouds arise, with Imber's gkime, . * And rains * caressing, coax the earth to bloom, Oh, think ^hat blossoms from our dust shall 'spring,' And throw their fragrance on the breeze, -*- for whom ? And those soft robes yon shaded streamlets wear, Perchance may spring from some celestial fair ; Ah, scorn them not, nor, careless, tread them o'er ; Who knows what beauty's head lies resting there ? '. Nay, crush them not, for long ere we were born, Day changed to night and night again to morn ; A,C,D, E, F, G, H A.C, D.E, F.G.H A,C,D, E, F, G,H great its virtue, it cannot be reabsorbed in the Divine Essence until it learns the one great truth of its impersonal unity with the Undiflerenced Self, with the great First Principle that underlies the world-figment, or Maya, of which even the heavens and the gods are themselves a part. The doctrine of Metempsychosis appears to have been absorbed by the early Aryans from some of the lower races with whom they came into contact, and it certainly mars the singular beauty of their earlier belief. [71] RUBA'IYAT OF OMAR KHAYYA'M Yon S., 263 W.,33 Bod.,Vm,35 Cad., 126 F.G..V.3I Gar., VI, 6 McC., ig4 N.,269 Vill.,586 VonS.,3o8 W.,3ia H.A.,i26 W.,386 This dust, perchance, was once a beaming eye, Or lovely mole, by bright-eyed beauty worn. io5 Come, friend, an hour of pleasure ere we go, For life's sweet breath will soon be sinking low ; To-morrow's dawn may find both you and me With those who went sev'n thousand years ago.* 1 06 And yonder skies too often tear away Our dearest friends, and all our hopes betray ; So, Darling, live live mm, while life is ours ; To-morrow's naught, and naught is yesterday. A,C,D.E, F,G,H B,F,H io5 * Whinfield appends the following note : " Badauni (II, 33^) sajs the creation of Adam was 7000 vears before his time." Cad-.gS H.A.,92 Bod., VI, 29 McG., 1 20 N.,3 Vill.,22 W.,a Bod. ,1,5 McC., 122 N.,2 Vill.,21 IO7 And see, this cup hath rose-red wine, - may he ; This crystal cup 's a ruby mine, - may he ; This water sparkles with a melted gem; Through moonlight's veil the sun- beams shine, may be. 1 08 Who brought thee here this eve at twilight, who ? From harem's gloom to sparkling moonlight, who ? Who raised thy veil to fan the love that burns When thou art absent ; who, my lovelight, who ? 109 Thou precious jewel of this yearning heart, Choice of my spirit, of my soul a part, - What is so dear to me as life, but thou ? And sweeter far than life itself thou art. 73] A,C,D,E, F. G, II G RUBA'IYAT OF OMAR KHAYYA'M Cad., i F.G.,V,ioo Gar., II, 4 H.A.,5 McC.,9 N.,8 Vill.,4 Von S., 96 W.,7 Bod., IX, 107 Gar., II, 3 McC.,47 N., 9 4 Vill., 202 VonS.,3i3 H.A.,58 Vill., 374 W.,2i4 no Drink 'neath the moonbeams, greet me with a song ; To-night we live, sweet moon,* and love is strong ; To-morrow, when we lie beneath the sod, The moon shall seek us, and shall seek us long. in She tears night's robe and lo, the i G gloom has fled ; So drink, my love, for when our souls have sped, This selfsame moon will rise the same, and set, Nor shadow mark the mighty world o'erhead, 112 Those countless orbs that roll o'er Heaven s mam, Perplex the learn d, their myst ries still remain ; A, B, C, D, E,F,G,H B,F,H * jNote the play upon the word mah in the line U ti l yl U jr^ j-r