rubaiyat of omar khayyam-第6章
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Lift not your hands to It for helpfor It
As impotently moves as you or I。
LXXIII。
With Earth's first Clay They did the Last Man knead；
And there of the Last Harvest sow'd the Seed：
And the first Morning of Creation wrote
What the Last Dawn of Reckoning shall read。
LXXIV。
YESTERDAY This Day's Madness did prepare；
TO…MORROW's Silence； Triumph； or Despair：
Drink！ for you not know whence you came； nor why：
Drink！ for you know not why you go； nor where。
LXXV。
I tell you thisWhen； started from the Goal；
Over the flaming shoulders of the Foal
Of Heav'n Parwin and Mushtari they flung；
In my predestined Plot of Dust and Soul。
LXXVI。
The Vine had struck a fiber： which about
It clings my Beinglet the Dervish flout；
Of my Base metal may be filed a Key
That shall unlock the Door he howls without。
LXXVII。
And this I know： whether the one True Light
Kindle to Love； or Wrath consume me quite；
One Flash of It within the Tavern caught
Better than in the Temple lost outright。
LXXVIII。
What！ out of senseless Nothing to provoke
A conscious Something to resent the yoke
Of unpermitted Pleasure； under pain
Of Everlasting Penalties； if broke！
LXXIX。
What！ from his helpless Creature be repaid
Pure Gold for what he lent him dross…allay'd
Sue for a Debt he never did contract；
And cannot answerOh the sorry trade！
LXXX。
Oh Thou； who didst with pitfall and with gin
Beset the Road I was to wander in；
Thou wilt not with Predestined Evil round
Enmesh； and then impute my Fall to Sin！
LXXXI。
Oh Thou； who Man of baser Earth didst make；
And ev'n with Paradise devise the Snake：
For all the Sin wherewith the Face of Man
Is blacken'dMan's forgiveness giveand take！
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
LXXXII。
As under cover of departing Day
Slunk hunger…stricken Ramazan away；
Once more within the Potter's house alone
I stood； surrounded by the Shapes of Clay。
LXXXIII。
Shapes of all Sorts and Sizes； great and small；
That stood along the floor and by the wall；
And some loquacious Vessels were； and some
Listen'd perhaps； but never talk'd at all。
LXXXIV。
Said one among them〃Surely not in vain
My substance of the common Earth was ta'en
And to this Figure molded； to be broke；
Or trampled back to shapeless Earth again。〃
LXXXV。
Then said a Second〃Ne'er a peevish Boy
Would break the Bowl from which he drank in joy；
And He that with his hand the Vessel made
Will surely not in after Wrath destroy。〃
LXXXVI。
After a momentary silence spake
Some Vessel of a more ungainly Make；
〃They sneer at me for leaning all awry：
What！ did the Hand then of the Potter shake？〃
LXXXVII。
Whereat some one of the loquacious Lot
I think a Sufi pipkinwaxing hot
〃All this of Pot and PotterTell me then；
Who is the Potter； pray； and who the Pot？〃
LXXXVIII。
〃Why；〃 said another； 〃Some there are who tell
Of one who threatens he will toss to Hell
The luckless Pots he marr'd in makingPish！
He's a Good Fellow； and 'twill all be well。〃
LXXXIX。
〃Well；〃 murmured one； 〃Let whoso make or buy；
My Clay with long Oblivion is gone dry：
But fill me with the old familiar Juice；
Methinks I might recover by and by。〃
XC。
So while the Vessels one by one were speaking；
The little Moon look'd in that all were seeking：
And then they jogg'd each other； 〃Brother！ Brother！
Now for the Porter's shoulders' knot a…creaking！〃
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
XCI。
Ah； with the Grape my fading life provide；
And wash the Body whence the Life has died；
And lay me； shrouded in the living Leaf；
By some not unfrequented Garden…side。
XCII。
That ev'n buried Ashes such a snare
Of Vintage shall fling up into the Air
As not a True…believer passing by
But shall be overtaken unaware。
XCIII。
Indeed the Idols I have loved so long
Have done my credit in this World much wrong：
Have drown'd my Glory in a shallow Cup；
And sold my reputation for a Song。
XCIV。
Indeed； indeed； Repentance oft before
I sworebut was I sober when I swore？
And then and then came Spring； and Rose…in…hand
My thread…bare Penitence apieces tore。
XCV。
And much as Wine has play'd the Infidel；
And robb'd me of my Robe of HonorWell；
I wonder often what the Vintners buy
One half so precious as the stuff they sell。
XCVI。
Yet Ah； that Spring should vanish with the Rose！
That Youth's sweet…scented manuscript should close！
The Nightingale that in the branches sang；
Ah whence； and whither flown again； who knows！
XCVII。
Would but the Desert of the Fountain yield
One glimpseif dimly； yet indeed； reveal'd；
To which the fainting Traveler might spring；
As springs the trampled herbage of the field！
XCVIII。
Would but some winged Angel ere too late
Arrest the yet unfolded Roll of Fate；
And make the stern Recorder otherwise
Enregister； or quite obliterate！
XCIX。
Ah Love！ could you and I with Him conspire
To grasp this sorry Scheme of Things entire；
Would not we shatter it to bitsand then
Re…mold it nearer to the Heart's Desire！
C。
Yon rising Moon that looks for us again
How oft hereafter will she wax and wane；
How oft hereafter rising look for us
Through this same Gardenand for one in vain！
CI。
And when like her； oh Saki； you shall pass
Among the Guests Star…scatter'd on the Grass；
And in your joyous errand reach the spot
Where I made Oneturn down an empty Glass！
TAMAM。
Notes
＇The references are； except in the first note only； to the stanzas of
the Fifth edition。＇
（Stanza I。） Flinging a Stone into the Cup was the signal for 〃To
Horse！〃 in the Desert。
（II。） The 〃False Dawn〃； Subhi Kazib； a transient Light on the Horizon
about an hour before the Subhi sadik or True Dawn； a well…known
Phenomenon in the East。
（IV。） New Year。 Beginning with the Vernal Equinox； it must be
remembered； and （howsoever the old Solar Year is practically
superseded by the clumsy Lunar Year that dates from the Mohammedan
Hijra） still commemorated by a Festival that is said to have been
appointed by the very Jamshyd whom Omar so often talks of； and whose
yearly Calendar he helped to rectify。
〃The sudden approach and rapid advance of the Spring；〃 says Mr。
Binning； 〃are very striking。 Before the Snow is well off the Ground；
the Trees burst into Blossom； and the Flowers start from the Soil。 At
Naw Rooz （their New Year's Day） the Snow was lying in patches on the
Hills and in the shaded Vallies； while the Fruit…trees in the Garden
were budding beautifully； and green Plants and Flowers springing upon
the Plains on every side
'And on old Hyems' Chin and icy Crown
An odorous Chaplet of sweet Summer buds
Is； as in mockery； set'
Among the Plants newly appear'd I recognized some Acquaintances I had
not seen for many a Year： among these； two varieties of the Thistle； a
coarse species of the Daisy； like the Horse…gowan； red and white
clover； the Dock； the blue Cornflower； and that vulgar Herb the
Dandelion rearing its yellow crest on the Banks of the Water…courses。〃
The Nightingale was not yet heard； for the Rose was not yet blown： but
an almost identical Blackbird and Woodpecker helped to make up
something of a North…country Spring。
〃The White Hand of Moses。〃 Exodus iv。 6； where Moses draws forth his
Handnot； according to the Persians； 〃leprous as Snow；〃 but white； as
our May…blossom in Spring perhaps。 According to them also the Healing
Power of Jesus resided in his Breath。
（V。） Iram； planted by King Shaddad； and now sunk somewhere in the
Sands of Arabia。 Jamshyd's Seven…ring'd Cup was typical of the 7
Heavens； 7 Planets； 7 Seas； &c。； and was a Divining Cup。
（VI。） Pehlevi； the old Heroic Sanskrit of Persia。 Hafiz also speaks
of the Nightingale's Pehlevi； which did not change with the People's。
I am not sure if the fourth line refers to the Red Rose looking
sickly； or to the Yellow Rose that ought to be Red； Red； White； and
Yellow Roses all common in Persia。 I think that Southey in his Common…
Place Book； quotes from some Spanish author about the Rose being White
till 10 o'clock； 〃Rosa Perfecta〃 at 2； and 〃perfecta incarnada〃 at 5。
（X。） Rustum； the 〃Hercules〃 of Persia； and Zal his Father； whose
exploits are among the most celebrated in the Shahnama。 Hatim Tai； a
well…known type of Oriental Generosity。
（XIII。） A Drumbeaten outside a Palace。
（XIV。） That is； the Rose's Golden Centre。
（XVIII。） Persepolis： call'd also Takht…i…Jam…shydTHE THRONE OF
JAMSHYD； 〃King Splendid；〃 of the mythical Peshdadian Dynasty； and
supposed （according to the Shah…nama） to have been founded and built
by him。 Others refer it to the Work of the Genie King； Jan Ibn
Janwho also built the Pyramidsbefore the time of Adam。
BAHRAM GUR。Bahram of the Wild Assa Sassanian Sovereignhad also
his Seven Castles （like the King of Bohemia！） each of a different
Colour： each with a Royal Mistress within； each of whom tells him a
Story； as told in one of the most famous Poems of Persia； written by
Amir Khusraw： all these Sevens also figuring （according to Eastern
Mysticism） the Seven Heavens； and perhaps the Book itself that Eighth；
into which the mystical Seven transcend； and within which they
revolve。 The Ruins of Three of those Towers are yet shown by the
Peasantry； as also the Swamp in which Bahram sunk； like the Master of
Ravenswood； while pursuing his Gur。
The Palace that to Heav'n his pillars threw；
And Kings the forehead on his threshold drew
I saw the solitary Ringdove there；
And 〃Coo； coo； coo；〃 she cried； and 〃Coo； coo； coo。〃
＇Included in Nicolas's edition as No。 350 of the Rubaiyat； and also in
Mr。 Whinfield's translation。＇
This Quatrain Mr。 Binning found； among several of Hafiz and others；
inscribed by some stray hand among the ruins of Persepolis。 The
Ringdove's ancient Pehlevi Coo； Coo； Coo； signifies also in Persian
〃Where？ Where？ Where？〃 In Attar's 〃Bird…parliament〃 she is reproved
by the Leader of the Birds for sitting still； and for ever harping on
that one note of lamentation for her lost Yusuf。
Apropos of Omar's Red Roses in Stanza xix； I am reminded of an old
English Superstition； that our Anemone Pulsatilla； or purple 〃Pasque
Flower；〃 （which grows plentifully about the Fleam Dyke； near
Cambridge；） grows only whe
