The Sufistic Quatrains Of Omar Khayyam Part 18

Oh threats of h.e.l.l and Hopes of Paradise!

One thing at least is certain--_This_ Life flies; One thing is certain and the rest is Lies; The Flower that once has blown for ever dies.

The inspiration for this quatrain comes from O. 35 of which ll. 1 and 2 are quoted as parallel to quatrain No. 24 _ante_.

Take care that thou tellest not this hidden secret to anyone The tulips that are withered will never bloom again.

_Ref._: O. 35, C. 80, L. 188, B. 185, P. 284, T. 60.--W. 107, V. 184.

LXIV.*

Strange, is it not? that of the myriads who Before us pa.s.s'd the door of Darkness through, Not one returns to tell us of the Road, Which to discover we must travel too.

This is a constantly recurring image in the ruba'iyat. C. 36 and 270 may be cited:

I have travelled far in a wandering by valley and desert, It came to pa.s.s I wandered in all quarters of the world, I have not heard from anyone who came from that road, The road he has travelled, no traveller travels again.

_Ref._: C. 36, L. 57, B. 54. T. 39.--W. 129, V. 56.

Of all the travellers upon this long road, Where is he that has returned, that he may tell us the secret?

Take heed that in this mansion (by way of metaphor) Thou leavest nothing, for thou wilt not come back.

_Ref._: C. 270, L. 424, B. 420, S.P. 216, P. 121, B. ii. 286, P. v.

9.--W. 258, N. 217, V. 462.

C. 211 and 277 contain the same image.

LXV.*

The Revelations of Devout and Learn'd Who rose before us, and as Prophets burn'd, Are all but Stories, which, awoke from Sleep, They told their comrades, and to Sleep return'd.

This quatrain is translated from C. 127.

Those who have become oceans of excellence and cultivation, And from the collection of their perfections have become lights of their fellows, Have not made a road out of this dark night, They have told a fable and have gone to sleep.

_Ref._: C. 127, L. 261, B. 258, P. 86, T. 101.--W. 209, N. 464, V. 266.

LXVI.*

I sent my Soul through the Invisible, Some letter of that After-life to spell: And by and by my Soul return'd to me, And answer'd, I myself am Heav'n and h.e.l.l:

This quatrain is inspired by O. 15.

Already on the Day of Creation, beyond the heavens, my soul Searched for the Tablet and Pen, and for heaven and h.e.l.l, At last the Teacher said to me with His enlightened judgment, Tablet and Pen, and heaven and h.e.l.l, are within thyself.[71]

_Ref._: O. 15, L. 59, B. 56, P. 114, B. ii. 69, P. v. 79--W. 114, V. 58.

LXVII.*

Heav'n but the Vision of fulfill'd Desire, And h.e.l.l the Shadow from a Soul on fire, Cast on the Darkness into which Ourselves, So late emerged from, shall so soon expire.

The inspiration for this verse comes from O. 33.

The heavenly vault is a girdle (cast) from my weary body.

Jihun[72] is a water-course worn by my filtered tears, h.e.l.l is a spark from my useless worries, Paradise is a moment of time when I am tranquil.

_Ref._: O. 33, C. 90, L. 199, B. 196, S.P. 90, P. 148, T. 70, P. v.

183.--W. 92, N. 90, V. 195.

FitzGerald's verse was evidently also influenced by distich 1866 of the Mantik ut-tair.

Heaven and h.e.l.l are reflections, the one of thy goodness, and the other of thy wrath.

LXVIII.

We are no other than a moving row Of Magic Shadow-shapes that come and go Round with the Sun-illumined Lantern held In Midnight by the Master of the Show;

This quatrain is translated from O. 108.

This vault of heaven beneath which we stand bewildered, We know to be a sort of magic-lantern:[73]

Know thou that the sun is the flame and the universe is the lamp, We are like figures that revolve in it.

_Ref._: O. 108, C. 332, L. 505, B. 501, S.P. 266, P. 40, B. ii. 356, P.

iv. 34.--W. 310, N. 267, E.C. 28, de T. 10, V. 545.

LXIX.

But helpless Pieces of the Game He plays Upon this Chequer-board of Nights and Days; Hither and thither moves, and checks, and slays, And one by one back in the Closet lays.

This quatrain is translated from O. 94.

To speak plain language, and not in parables, We are the pieces and heaven plays the game, We are played together in a baby-game upon the chess-board of existence, And one by one we return to the box of non-existence.

_Ref._: O. 94, C. 280, L. 443, B. 439, S.P. 230, P. 31, B. ii. 291, T.

183, P. v. 10.--W. 270, N. 231, E.C. 27, V. 480.

LXX.

The Ball no question makes of Ayes and Noes But Here or There as strikes the Player goes; And He that toss'd you down into the Field, _He_ knows about it all--HE knows--HE knows!

This quatrain is translated from C. 422.