^ 6513

1905

K a^^a
lef

livi

Fil3geraLd*s

Translation

T.

13

<St

n. FOULiIS,

15 Fpederiek Street

AND

liOflDOri.

WDCCCCV.

M 'Lagan &

Cumming,

Chromo-Lithographers and Printers,

Edinburgh.

II

Dreaming when

was
I

in

the

Hand

Dawn's Left

Sky

heard a Voice within

the

Tavern

cry,

"

Awake my
the Cup

Little

Before Life's Liquor

ones,

in its

Cup

and

fill

be dry."

Ill

And,

as

the

Cock crew, those who

stood before

The Tavern
the

Door

shouted

"

Open

then

You know how

little

while

we have

to stay.

And, once
more."

departed,

may

return

no

IV

Now

the

New

Year

reviving

old

Desires,

The thoughtful Soul to Solitude retires,

Where the White Hand of
Moses on the Bough
Puts out, and Jesus from the Ground
suspires.

V
Iram

indeed

is

gone

with

all

its

Rose,

And

Jamshyd's

Sev'n-ring*d

where no one knows

But

still

the

Vine her

Cup

ancient

Ruby

yields,

And

still

blows.

Garden by the Water

VI

And

David*s Lips are

lock't

but in

divine

High -piping

with

Pehlevi,

Wine Wine
Wine
The
!

Red

"Wine!

''

Nightingale cries

Rose

to the

That yellow Cheek

of

her's

incar-

t'

nadine.

VII

Come,

fill

the Cup,

and

in

the

Fire

of Spring

The Winter Garment

fling

The

To

fly

of

Repentance

Bird of

and

Wing.

Time

Lo

has but a

the Bird

little
is

way

on the

VIII

And

look

a thousand Blossoms with

Day

the

Woke

and

Clay

And

a thousand

this

Summer Month

first

brings the

Shall

scattered into

Rose

Jamshyd

take

that

Kaikobad

and

away.

IX
But come with old

Khayyam and

leave

the Lot

Of Kaikobad and Kaikhosru

Let Rustum

lay

about

forgot

him

as

he

will,

Or

Hatim
them

Tai

not.

cry

Supper

heed


X
With me

along some Strip of Herbage

strown

That

the desert from the

divides

just

sown,

Where name
scarce

And

is

of

Sultan

pity

Slave and

Sultan

known,

Mahmud

on

his

Throne.

XI

Here with

Loaf

of

Bread beneath

the Bough,

Flask of Wine, a

Book

of

Verse

and
Beside

Thou
me singing

in

the

Wilder-

ness

And

Wilderness

is

Paradise enow.


XII

"How

sweet

think

some

"

How

Others

come

Ah,

the

take

the

Paradise to

blest the

Cash

waive the Rest

Oh,

Sovranty "

mortal

is

brave

Drum

in

hand

and

Music

of

distant

XIII

Look

to

us

the
'*

Rose

that

blows

Lo,

Laughing," she says, "into the

I

At

blow

its

throw."

World

once the silken Tassel of

Tear, and

about

my

Purse

Treasure on the Garden

XIV
The Worldly Hope men

their

set

Hearts upon

Ashes

Turns

or

prospers

it

and

anon,

Like

Snow upon

the Desert's dusty

Face
Lighting a

little

Hour

or

two

is

gone.

XV
And

those

who husbanded

the

Golden

Grain,

And

those
like

who

flung

it

to the

Winds

Rain,

Alike to no such aureate Earth are

turn'd

As, buried once.

again.

Men

want dug up


XVI
Think,

in

batter'd Caravanserai

this

Whose Doorways

are alternate Night

and Day,

How

Sultan

after

Sultan with his

Pomp
Abode

Hour

his

his

or

two,

went

and

way.

XVII

They

say

the

Lion

and

the

Lizard

Jamshyd

gloried

keep

The

Courts

where

and drank Deep

And
the

Stamps
fast

Bahram,

that great

Hunter

Wild Ass
o'er

his

asleep.

Head,

and

he

lies


XVIII
I

sometimes think that never blows so red

The

Rose

where

as

Caesar bled

some

buried

That every Hyacinth the Garden

wears

Dropt

in

its

lovely

Lap

from

some

once

Head.

XIX

And

this delightful

Herb whose

tender

Green
Fledges the River's Lip on which

we

lean

Ah,

upon

lean

it

lightly

for

who

knows

From what once

unseen

lovely Lip

it

springs


XX
Ah,

my

Beloved,

the

fill

cup

that

clears

To-DAY

of

Regrets, and

past

future

Fears

To-morrow ?

Why,

To-morrow

may be
Myself with Yesterday's Sev'n Thousand Years.

XXI
Lo

some we loved, the

loveliest

and

the best

That

Time and
Vintage

And

of

all

their

prest.

Have drunk
two

Fate

their

Cup

Round

or

before,

one by one crept

silently to Rest.


XXII

And

we,

in

Room

the

They

now make merry

that

Summer

and

left,

dresses

in

new Bloom,

we

must

Ourselves

Couch

of

beneath

the

Earth

Descend, ourselves to make a Couch

whom

for

XXIII

Ah, make

the most

may spend.
Before we too into
Dust
to

Sans

into

of

what we

yet

the Dust descend

and under

Dust,

Dust,

lie.

Wine,
and

sans

sans

Song,

End

sans

Singer,

"

XXIV
who

Alike for those

And

for

To- DAY prepare,

those that after

To-MORROW

stare,

Muezzin
Darkness

from

the

tower

of

cries

"Fools! your Reward

nor There

is

neither

Here

XXV
Why,

all

the

Saints

and

Sages

who

discuss'd

Of

the

Two

Worlds

so learnedly, are

thrust

Like

foolish

Words
Are

to

scattered,

stopt with

Prophets

forth

their

Scorn

and

their

Dust.

Mouths

are

XXVI
Oh, come with

To

talk

Life

One
is

one

flies

thing

Lies

Khayyam, and

old

Wise

leave the

thing

that

certain,

is

is

certain,

and the Rest

The Flower

that once has

blown

for

ever dies.

XXVII
Myself when young did eagerly frequent

Doctor and

Saint,

and

heard

great

but

ever-

Argument

About

it

and

about

more

Came

out

went.

by the same Door

as in


XXVIII

With them

And

did

grow

it

was

this

labour'd

the Harvest that

all

reap'd

came

my own hand

with
to

"

Wisdom

sow,

And

the Seed of

like

Water, and

like

Wind

go."

XXIX
Into

this

Universe,

and

why

not

knowing.

Nor

whence,
flowing

And

like

Water

willy-nilly

out of

it,

as

Wind

along the

Waste,
I

know

not whither, willy-nilly blowing.

XXX
What, without

asking,

hither

hurried

whence ?

And, without
hence

asking,

whither hurried

Another

and

another

Cup

to

drown

The Memory

of this

Impertinence

XXXI

Up

from Earth's Centre through the

Seventh Gate
I

rose,

and on the Throne

of Saturn

sate.

And many
Road

Knots unraveFd by the

But not the Knot of

and Fate.

Human Death

XXXII
There was a Door
no

Key

to

which

There was a Veil past which

not see

Some

found

could

Talk awhile

little

of

Me

and

Thee
There seem'd

Thee

and

then no more of

and Me.

XXXIII
Then

to the rolling

Asking,

"

Heav'n

itself

What Lamp had

cried,

Destiny

to guide

Her little children

Dark?"

And

"A
Heav'n

blind
replied.

stumbling in the

Understanding!"


XXXIV
Then

to

Bowl

earthen

this

did

adjourn

My

Lip the secret Well of

learn

And
"

Drink

Lip

to

While you
!

Life

to

for

Lip

it

murmur'd

live

dead

once

you

never

shall return."

XXXV
I

think the Vessel, that with fugitive

Articulation

And

merry- make

Lip

How

many
give

answered,

once

did

live,

and

the

cold

kiss'd

kisses

might

it

take

and

XXXVI
For

Market-place,

in

the

of

Day,

watch'd

the

wet Clay

And

It

with

Potter

Dusk

thumping

his

its

all

obliterated

"Gently,
murmur'd
pray

one

Tongue

Brother, gently,

XXXVII
Ah,

fill

the

Cup

what

boots

it

to

repeat

How

Time
Feet

is

slipping underneath our

To-MORROW

Unborn

and

dead

Yesterday,

Why

fret

sweet

about
!

them

if

To-DAY

be

XXXVIII

One Moment in Annihilation's Waste,

One Moment, of the Well of Life
to taste

The

Stars

are

and

setting

the

Caravan
Starts

the

for

Oh, make

Dawn
haste

of

Nothing

XXXIX

How

long,

how

long,

in

definite

Pursuit

Of

and

This

That

endeavour

and

dispute ?

Better

be

merry

with

the

fruitful

Grape

Than

sadder

after

none,

or

bitter,

Fruit.


XL
You know, my Friends, how
since in my House
For

new

Carouse
Divorced

my

And

Marriage

make

did

Reason from

barren

old

Bed,

Daughter

took the
to

long

Vine

of the

Spouse.

XLI
For 'Ms" and "Is-NOt" though

iuith

Rule and Line,

And "UP-AND-DOWN

"

without,

could define,
I

Was

yet in

never

Wine.

all

deep

only cared to know,

in

anything

but


XLII

And

lately,

Came

by the Tavern Door agape,

through

stealing

the

Dusk an

Angel Shape
Bearing a Vessel on

his

Shoulder

and

He

bid

me

the

Grape

taste of

it

and *twas

XLIII

The

Grape

that

with

Logic

jarring

Sects

can

absolute

The Two-and-Seventy
confute

The

subtle

Alchemist

that

in

Trice
Life's

leaden

mute.

Metal

into

Gold

trans-

XLIV
The mighty Mahmud,

the

victorious

Lord,

That

the

all

misbelieving

and

black

that

infest

Horde

Of

Fears and

Sorrows

the Soul
Scatters

and

slays

with

his

enchanted

Sword.

XLV
But leave the Wise
with

The

to

wrangle,

me

Quarrel of the Universe

And,

in

and

some corner

of the

let

be

Hubbub

coucht.

Make Game
much

of

of

that

Thee.

which makes

as


XLVI
For

and

in

nothing

*Tis

above, about, below,

out,

but

Shadow-

Magic

show,

Box whose Candle

Play'd in a

is

the Sun,

Round which we
come and

Phantom

Figures

go.

XLVII

And

if

you

End

in

in

Wine you

drink,

the Lip

press.

Nothing

the

all

Things

end

Yes

Then
art

Thou

the

fancy while

Thou

art,

Thou

but what

shalt

not be

be

NothingThou

less.

shalt

XLVIII
While

Rose

the

blows

along

the

River Brink,

With

Khayyam

old

drink

the

Ruby Vintage

And when

Angel

the

with

his

darker Draught

Draws up

to

do not

Thee

take

that,

and

shrink.

XLIX
'Tis

Chequer-board

all

of

Nights

for

Pieces

and Days

Where

Men

Destiny with

plays

Hither

and

thither

moves,

and

mates, and slays.

And

one by one back

in the Closet lays.


L
The

Ball no Question

makes

Ayes

of

and Noes,
But

Right

or

Left

Player goes

And He

the

Thee down

toss'd

Field,

He knows about

HE

strikes

that

into the

as

knows

all

it

He

knows

LI

The Moving

Finger writes

and, having

writ,

Moves on

nor

Shall lure

it

all

thy Piety nor

Wit

back to cancel half a

Line,

Nor

all

of

Thy
it.

Tears wash out a

Word


UI

And

that inverted

Bowl we

call

The

Sky,

Whereunder crawling
and

thy hands to

Lift not
for

coop't

we

live

die,
It

for

help

It

Rolls impotently on as

Thou

or

I.

LIII

With

Earth's
last

And

first

Clay They did the

Man's knead,

then of the Last Harvest sow'd

the Seed

Yea, the

first

Morning

of Creation

wrote

What

the

shall

Last
read.

Dawn

of

Reckoning

Liy
I

tell

Thee

this

When,

starting

from

the Goal,

Over

the

shoulders

of

flaming

the

Foal

Of Heav'n Parwm and Mushtara

they flung,
In

my

predestined

Plot

of

Dust and

Soul.

LV
The Vine had

struck a Fibre

which

about

my Being let the

Of my Base Metal may

If clings

Siifi flout

be

filed

Key,

That

shall

unlock the

without,

Door he howls

LVI

And

this

know

whether the one

True

Light,

Kindle to

Love,

or

me quite,
One Glimpse

of

Wrath consume
within

It

the

Tavern caught
Better than in the

Temple

lost

out-

right.

LVII

Oh, Thou, who

did'st

with

Pitfall

and

with Gin
Beset the

Thou

Road

wilt

not

was
with

to

wander

in,

Predestination

round

Enmesh me, and impute my

Sin?

Fall

to


LVIII

Man

Oh, Thou, who

with

Snake
For
of
Is

all

Earth

make.

did'st

And who

of baser

Eden

did'st devise the

the Sin wherewith the Face

Man

blackened,

Man's Forgiveness

and take

give


KUZA NAMA
LIX
Listen again.

One Evening

at the

Of Ramazan,

ere the better

Moon arose,

old

In that

Shop

Potter's

Close

stood

alone

With

the

clay

Population

round

in

Rows.

LX
And,

strange

to

tell,

among

the

Earthen Lot

Some

could
not

And

articulate,

while

others

suddenly one more impatient

cried
*'

Who
the

is

the Potter,

Pot?"

pray,

and

who

"

LXI

Then

My

said another

"Surely

substance from the

was

subtly

wrought

me

Shape

into

Should

common Earth

ta'en,

He who

That

not in vain

me back

stamp

to

common

Earth again."

Another

said

LXI

Why,

"

ne'er a peevish

Boy,

Would

break

he drank
Shall

He

Bowl from which

the
in

Joy

that

made the Vessel

in

pure Love

And

Fancy,
destroy

in

an

after

Rage

LXIII

None

answer'd

this

but after Silence

spake

Vessel of a more ungainly

"

They
awry

What

for

leaning

all

did

me

sneer at

Make

the

Hand

then

of

the

"

Potter shake

Said one

LXIV
*'

Folks of a surly Tapster

tell,

And

daub
of

They

Hell

talk of

us Pish
He's

Visage with the Smoke

his

Good

be well."

some

strict

Testmg

of

Fellow,

and

'twill

all

LXV
Then

said another with a long

drawn

Sigh,

"

My

Clay with long oblivion

dry
But,

is

gone

fill

me

with the old familiar Juice,

'*

Methinks

might recover by- and -bye

LXVI
So while the Vessels one by one were
speaking,

One

spied the
seeking

And

Crescent

all

were

then they jogg'd each other,

" Brother,

Hark

little

Brother

to the Porter's Shoulder-knot a"

creaking

LXVII
Ah, with

Grape my fading

the

Life

provide,

And wash my Body whence

the Life

has died.

And

in

leaf

Windingsheet

Vine-

of

wrapt.

So bury me by some sweet Gardenside.

LXVII
That

ev'n

my

buried

Ashes such a

Snare

Of Perfume

shall

fling

up

into

the

Air,

As

not

True

Believer

passing

by
But

shall

be overtaken unaware.

LXIX
Indeed

the

Idols

have

loved

so

long

Have done my

Credit in Men's

much wrong

Eye

Have drown'd my Honour

in

shallow Cup,

And

sold

my

Reputation for a Song.

LXX
Indeed, indeed, Rfepentance oft before
I

swore

swore

And

but

was

sober

when

then,

and then came Spring,

and Rose-in-hand

My

thread -bare
tore,

Penitence

a -pieces

LXXI

And much

Wine

as

has

play'd

the

Infidel,

And

Honour
I

often

One

me

robb'd

my

of

Robe

of

well,

wonder what the Vintners buy

so

half

they

precious

as

the

Goods

sell.

LXXII
Alas, that Spring should
the

That

Rose

Youth's
script

The

vanish with

sweet-scented

should close

Manu-

Nightingale that in the Branches

sang,

Ah, whence, and whither flown

who knows

again,


LXXIII

Ah

Love

and

thou

could

with

Fate conspire

To

grasp this sorry

Scheme

of

Things

entire,

Would

not

we

shatter

to bits

it

and then

Re-mould

nearer

it

to

the

Heart's

who

know'st

Desire.

LXXIV
Ah, Moon

of

my

Delight

no wane,

The moon
again

of

Heav'n

is

rising

once

How oft hereafter rising shall she look

Through

same Garden

this

in vain

after

me

LXXV
And when
shall

Among

Thyself with shining Foot

pass

the Guests

Star - scattered

on

the Grass,

And

in

thy

joyous

Errand

reach

the Spot

Where

made one

empty Glass

turn

down an

TAMAM

SHUD.

NOTE.
Of
life

information regarding the actual

Omar Khayyam,

of

poet

of

was born,

1018, and died

of

we have

Persia,

He

none.

first

English

quatrains, from

which

was written by
lished

in

the

about

said,

is

at

the age

five.

version
this

is

of

his

reprinted,

and

pub-

1859, and, nine years

later,

reissued to a

with

it

practically

1123,

in

one hundred and

The

the astronomer

still

Fitzgerald,

unappreciative public,

stanzas

increased

to

one

and

hundred
versions

the

reduced

to

Edward

ten.

In

number

of

one

was

one.

unrewarded by

Fitzgerald,

admirers

of

verses

hundred and

the gratitude of a
circle

subsequent

now
of

ever-widening

this

Epicurean

philosophical poem, died in 1883, leaving

this

his

genius.

little

classic

monument

to


THE PERSIAN POETS'
The

object of these

SERIES.

books

little

is

to bring

within reach of lovers of poetry translations

of

the

The

and most famous verse written

best

by poets

Persia.

of

decorations

used

for

have been designed specially

these

volumes

for the publisher

by native Persian artists and are reproduced

by means of lithography.
The first two volumes are now ready, and
others are in preparation

I.

RUBAIYAT OF OMAR KHAYYAM,

Fitzgerald's Translation.

II.

HAFIZ

The

Prince of

Persian Lyric Poets.

CENTRAL

^'^^

University

UC SOU^HEPM nEG'ONAL LlBOARv PACiiJTY

IIIIIP

mail
"

mill!!

!1!I1|!IIIIIIIII!I1

Hill

000 019 293