r "it__fc£ , V_f#4 T i-S_ ,^_L_ _*_ y^i__i ttl » # ^ B RUBAIYAT OF OMAR KHAYYAM H_>S_Ek__ IHTO ENCLLAH VERBE BY PJtiani Fhzgtratd F1R5T VERSICN WITH DRAWEMCl BY Edmund J. Sidlhan KEW rtJHK. Illustr_tx_. E_icions Company 110 POUJ-TH AYEM_E M OMAR KHAYYAM, THE AiTRONOMEE-POET OF PEHSIA. OMAR KHAYYAM was bom at Naishapur in Khoras- san in thc lattcr haif of our Eleventh, and so that I passed foitr ycars in his scmcc. Whcn I firsc canic thcrc> I fou.ni] twy olher pupils of minc own agc ncwly arrivcd, Hakim Onur Khayyarn, and thc ilMatcd Dcn Sabbah. Both wcrc cndowcd with sharpncss of wit atid thc htghcst natural powcrs; and wc three formed a closc fricndship to- geihct, Whcn thc Imam rnsc frnm \\i& leeturcs, thcy uscd ro jioill iat, and wc rcpcatcd to cach other the lcssonp wc had heard, Now Omar was a natwc of Naishipui', wliilc Ilasan Ben Sabbah*s fathcr was onc Ali, a man of austerc lifc aud practise^ but hcrctical in his crccd and doctrinc, Onc day Hasart said tc mc and ro Khayyam^ "It is- a universal beliet that rhe pupih nf the- Imam MowaAak will attam to £ortune, Now, even if wc all do not atrain thereto, without doubt onc of us will; what thcn shall bc our mutual pledgc and bond?" We answered, "Be it whar you plcase," "Weli; 1 hc said, Ll Jct us make a vow, that to wh.omsoc.ver this lortunc falls, hc shal] jshare it cqu;dly with thc rcsr t and reserve tto pre-cmi- nence for himscLr"," *Bc it so," wc bnth replied, nnd on thosc tcrms wc imjiually plcdgcd our words, Years rollcd or^ and I wcnt froni Kborassan to Transosiana^ and wiantiered to Ghazni and Cabul j and whcn I rcturncdj I was invest*d with omcc, and rosc to be adrmnistrator of allairs during the Sul- tanatc of Sultan Alj> Arslan,* "Hc goes on to state, that ycars passcd by, and both his old scbool-tricnds fcund him out, and camc and claimcd a sharc in his good iortune, according to thc schooUiay vow + Thc Vizicr was gcncrous and kcpt his word. Hasan dcmanded a place in thc govcrnmcnt h whicli ilic Sultan grantcd ar ibc Vizier's rcqucst; but discontcnted with a gtadual risc^ hc plun^cd into ihc mazc of innigue oE an oriental court, and, I.tiling in a basc attcmpt to supplant liis bcncfactor, hc was di^raccd and fclJ. Aftcr many miM^ips- and wandering5> I lasan bccamc thc hcad of tbc Pcrsian scct of tlic Ismsiiiarrs, a |>arty of tanatics who had long murmured in obscurity, hni rose to an cvl1 cmincnce undcr thc guidanoc of his stronj^ ;iiu3 cvil wilL Jn, a.d, iooOj he scizcd thc crtsrle of Alamut, in (IV |>roviiice of Rudbarj whicli hes in th* mountainoiu tract Miuth o| tbc CaM-pian Sci; and it was from this mountain hurne he obtaitied that evil cdebrity among the Crusaders as Ni^altl ui Mulk himselr, thc o!d school-boy iriend,' "Omar Khayyam also camc to the Vizicr to claim his. sbarc ; but not to ask for titlc or oHicc. 'Thc greatcst boon. you can confcr on. mc/ ]ic said, 'is to lct mc livc in a corner undcr thc shadow of your. fortunCj to spread wide the advantages of Science, and pray for your long LĔc and prospcrity/ Thc. Vizicr tcth usj that whcn hc found Omar was rftil]y iitKtrc in his rcfusal, hc prcsscd him no Airther, but grantcd hiin a ycarly pcnsLon of 1200 mith%&s of gold from the treasury oE Naiiha- pur. 1 SOfiK of Orti3f 'i Rub jiyll waf II Ui of (hc diriKcr *.■■{ OmUcin Llic initabihty of t ••iM:i:r. hikI whi'c jJhkiLihk ClurLly Co atl Mrit, rconcnmenJLiig je to be im UiltinaK wch iioiK. Attir mjLci ^itim-uilMLjLl; li-^- rht wy w«<|-S oE itaJ- friclhJ Ohkir [Rkib. UCnii,], "WJlcji Niidin-uL-MuEk was in IJhe .\cojiy (ci Eteath> Ji£ isjiLl> ^0*1 G*di I I im pauijnff Jtwjiy in (Ik hind oE ihc wujjd.' ™ 11 At Naishapur thus livcd and dicd Oniar Khayyam h tusied,' mhh rhc Viiici% 'in winning knowicdgc of cvcry kind, and cspccially in Astronomy, whercin bc anaincd to a vcry high prc-tmincncc. Undcr thc Sultanatc of Malik Shah> he camc to Mcrv> and obtaincd grcat praisc for his proikicncy in sci- cnec, and thc Sullan showeicd favors upon him/ J "Whcn thc Malik Shah dctermined to rciorm thc cakndar^ Oinar wa* oftc of ihc ei.KUt lcarned mcn cmp]oycd to do it; thc rcs-uJt was. thc falali cra (so calkd frutn jaiai-NiI-din r onc o£ thc kiritf h s names) — 'a computation cf timc, h says Gibhon h 'wEiich Mirpii^Ls i]il Juli;w, ;tnd «pproarhcs tlic accuracp of thc Grc#orian srylc/ Hc is alsci thc author of some aslro- nomical tables, ctnitkd ^LJi-Malikshahi/ and thcPrench havc latcly rcpublished and translatcd an Arabie Treatisc of hi$ ort Alj^bra. "His Takhallus or poctical name (KhayySm) sijfnifics a Tcnt-maker, and hc is said to havc ai one tirrjc otcrciscd that iradc, pcrhaps bcforc Niaam-ul-Multrs. gencrosity raised him to indcpcnJcncc. Many Persian poets similarly derivc thcir namcs from thcir occupattons; thus wc havc Attar» 'a drug- gist,' As5ar h 'an oil prcsser,* ete* 1 Omar himscl£ alludcs to his namc in thc fot]owing whimsical ]ines: — " 'Khayyin], wtio stitchcd thc ttnts of scicncc, Haj fsllen in [jricĔ'5 iumacc and bctn suJdcnly burncd; TV ihoLti vf F*it havt cui the tem m^ vi lw iifc, And thc brokcr oĕ Ilope has soLd hijin for nothingl 1 ' "Wc havc onty onc more anccdote to givc of his Life ? and that rclatcs to thc closc; it is told in thc anonymous prcfacc \vhich is somccimcs prcfiscd to his pocms; it has bccn printcd in thc Pcrsian in chc Appcndis co Hydc's Vetcrum Persarum 1 Th«jp;lt i|] tkcie, lik< aur SrnjLh'-. AKhni, MlIIc^, ]']rl^lxrj, liicoue, undcr Khiam? — "It is wricccn in thc chronielcs of the anaents that this King of thc Wise, Omar Khayyam, dicd at Nai&haptir in thc ycar oE tlic Hegiiaj 517 (a.d. 1123); in scjence hc was «11- rivaled, — thc vcry paragon of his jgc. KliwJjaii Niganti of Satnarcind, who was one of his pupils^ relatcs the rullowing siory: "I oficn usllI lq ]lqU3 conYersations with my teachcr, Ojnar KhayyatJi, in a gardcn; and onc day hc said to me t "My tomb shall bc in a spot whcrc thc north wind may scattcr ro$cs over it, p I wondercd ,tt thc words hc spakc, but 1 kncw that his werc ihi idb word;,.- Years aftex, whcn I chanced to rcvisit Naishapur, L went to his Hiial rcstin^-placc, and lo! i( w,is just outside 4 gainden, and iri-ts l.adai witti fruit sjretehed their bnughs ovcr thc gardcn wa]l, am! dr/anped iheir rlowers upon his tomb, so thac thc stonc was hiddcn undcr them." a " Thus far — wichout f car ot Trcspass — from thc Cslcatta Re- victv. Thc writcr of iu on rcading in India this story of Omar^s Gravc, was remindcd, hc says, of Cceero's Accotint of tinding Architnedes 1 Tomb at Syracuse, buricd m grass and wceds, I ihink ThorwaCdscn dcsircd to havc roscs grow over him; a 1 "J > Ji]hMj|.ilfcc Mu>ulm*n qvi * ^u tn 0*lrur K\l lo thiMW in tlif Kcirjn: "Xo Mau Juiow* whr«; hr !fbj.lt dx." — Tbu jrtary dE <]nijr remirwLj mc fff j.nQchcr h> njnjraLI)— jhi! w\tei\ nnt rtraicmbcK hrw ia uic nt Jkis- humblc iHdrk ihc JVub"lc MJIur Jjiiihn;! — to l^lJictiCjlty iold L?}- Cj.pb.ici Coolt. — nct Lrjr DocIdt HaYrln-WDrrJi: — in hii SccorKt Yuya.$c (L j^^J. WJicn leaTimj Ulictea. ^P»'* U*t rpju^w wjf fw rw m r^iiarpi. TV|vrii Kr ?JW hfi «!Hjld ruA «4iUifi itiat prmuiK h Jic a^licd (hc nnnic oi iny .IJjAryr (Uirjinjj-placc). Ai rtrnjisc a. qucLtiiHi ats ihLt wji, I juututed rc4 j. rnaiciEnt 4a t*]l hini '£tepnq^; thc pj^i^tl ill which J Lj-nc whtn i*l [^sJiLlun. t u-.iv isjilc rilncc: il; ajid Jicn 'iiSciJJicj- JJacaj nc TocJc" w» bcjimcI TJimmjh frj hurMiJTME jHHJths at on«. t jiEcerwjnl* taurtd llie ijme i]ij(--,rii.'. r i Ji.nl k-rii | ■■■ i ii) MY- PoLTkW ty a rHJH tfn ihnrr, hm ht ;;jvc j HlirTcTrcnr;, irlJ JtlJccd murc proiicr? 9Hvw r r. hy «yirc, ^N» ETUH who Uicd tkc ki {hiIJ u>- yiJkk he ikauld bv bUa-icJ." 1 wish religious-Iy Eulnllcti for fiim to the present day* I believe Hoivevrr, to rcturn to Omar, Though thc Suttan L 'showcr"d Favors upon him" Omar*s Epicurcan Audacity of Thotight and Spccch causcd htm to be rcgardcd askancc in bis own Timc jnd Country^ He is said to havc becn cspccially hatcd aml djcadid by th-c Suiis, whosc Practisc hc ridkutcd, and whosc Faith jmnunts to littk more than his own, wheri stript of the Mysticism and formal rccog- nition of Istamism under which Omar would not hidc. Tbcir Pocts, induding Hafiz, who arc (with thc cxccption of Fir- dausi) thc most constdcrabk in Pcrsia^ horrowcd largdy, ]n- dccd, of Omar^s material, but turning it to a mystical Use more cotwcnient to Thcmsdvcs and thL Pcoplc thcy addressed; i Pcoplc quitc asquick of Doubt as of Bclicf; as kccn ot Rodily scnsc as of Intetlcctual,; and dclighting in a cloudy composi- iion of hoth^ in wlikh thcy could hoat luxuriously bctwccn Heaven and Earth, and this World and thc TS r evt, on thc wings of a poctical esprcssion, that might scjyc indirTcrcntly for either. Omar wjs too honest of Hcart as wcll of Hcad for tllis. Hjving fjiled (howcvcr mistakcnly) of rlnding any Providence but Dcstiny + and any World but This, hc sct about making the most of it; prcfcrring rathcr to soothc thc Sout through the Scnses 5nto Acojuiesccncc with Things as hc saw thcm^ than to pcrpkn it with vain disquietudc aftcr what thcy might be. It has beco $eem however, that his Worldly Ambi- tion was not cKorbitant; and he very likely takes a humorous or pcrversc pleasure in exaltiri£ the gratiricaEion o£ Scnsc jbovc that of the lr.tdkct, in whkh he must liave: takcn great dclight, atthough it failed to answer the Questions in which he, in common with all men, was rnouc vita]|y interested. For whatcvcr Ecasonj. however, Omar as bctore ^aid, has never b«n poj^ubr in his own Country, and therefore has bccn but scaittily transmittcd abroad. Thc MSS. of his Focms^ mutilatcd beyond the avera£e Casualtics of Oricntal Trans- cription, arc so r are In. the East as. scarce to have rtMcht Wes t- ward at cill, in spitc of all the acqu.tsitions. of Arnis ^m] Scicn.ee- Thcrc is no copy at thc India Houscj nonc at the Bib]irjL!iLt[Ui: Nationalc of Paris. Wc know but of onc in Engiand: No, 140 l\ Sj >l ttl l;lt l.M.l- lo^ues tEic Lucknow MS. at doublc that numbcr. 1 Thc Scribes, tWj of tue Q*ford and Caleutta MSS, secm to do thcir Work undcr j sort of Protcst; cach beginninjj; with a Tetrastich (whethcr genuine or not)> takcn out of iu alphabctical ordcr; ihc Oxford with onc of Apotojy; the Cakutta with onc of Expostu].ition> supposcd (says a Notice prefixed to thc MS.) tn have arisen frotri a Drcani, in whkh Omars mothcr askcd about his futurc fatc. It may bc rcndcred thus.; — *X)h Thcu who burrtta irt Hwri ior chtKje whc Lnirn In HcLL, wIhhc JtStcj lliysctt Thall tccd in (urn, How tangr tw erytrtjj, 'Mcney on itwin, GmH # Why f who aix ITkju tt> tcucK, antj Hc 10 ]*am? Hh Thc Bodlctan Quatrain plcad< Panthcism by way of Tustiri- cation. **\S l my$df upon. a looser C«td H3ix ItwwLy *tftmg ih* Jcwd w[ Gwtni d«d, Lc( [hi$ orie thing for my Atontrticni pltad; Thai Onc for 1 J %vo I l1cvcl" did miirCAJ. h " 1 "Sint* thii pjput him (as Ĕn bis own sublimc dcscrip- tion of tbc Roman Theater) discolored with the lurid rcrle?: of thc Curtain suspcndcd betwcen thc Spcccator and che Sun. Om»r, ni^rc dcspcratc, or morc carclcss of any so complkated Systcm as resuhtd in nothing hut hopclcss Ncccssity, nung his own Gcnius and Lcarnin^ with a bitter or humorous jcst 3oto thc gcncral Ruin which thcir insulncknt glimpses only 5crv«J to reveal; and, prctcnding sensual plcasurc, as the scrious. pmposc of Life, only ditterted himsclf with spcculative problcms of Deity, Dcstiny, Matter and Spirit, Good and Evilj and otber sucb qucstions t easier to start than to run down, and the purguit of whicb bccgnics a vcry wcary sport at lastE With rcgard to thc prcscnt Translation, The original Rubaiyat (as, missing an Arabic Cuttural, thcsc Tetrastith-t are more mu.sica]ly called) are indcpcndcnt Stanzas, consist- 1 Frcfebar Cowcll. itig each of four Lincs of c^ual, though varied, Prosody; some- limes all rhyming, but oftener (as here imkated) the third line a blank, Somewhat as in the Greek Alcaic, where the pcnultimate line seems to lift and suspcnd the Wave that falls over in the lasL As usual with such kind of Oriental Vcrsc, ihe Rubaiyat follow one another according to Alphabetic Rhyme — a strange succcssion of Grave and Gay. Those here sclccred are strung into something of an Eclogue, with pcrhaps a less than equnl proportion of the "Drink and make-merry," which (genuine or not) rccurs ovcr-frequcntly in the Original. Either way, the Result is sad enough: saddest perhaps when most ostentatiously mcrry: more apt to move Sorrow than Anger toward the old Tentmaker, who, aftcr vainly endeavor- ing to unshackle his Steps from Dcstiny ? and to catch some ;iuthentic Glimpse of To-morrow, fell back upon To-day (which has outlasted so many To-morrows!) as the only Ground he had got to stand upon, however momcntarily slip- ping rrom under his Feet. EDWARD J. JFITZGERALD I Awake ! for Morning in the Bowl of Night Has nung the Stone that puts the Stars to Flight; And Lo ! the Hunter oE the East has caught The Sultan's Turret in a Noose of Light. II Dreaming when Dawns Lcft Hand was in the Sky I heard a Voice wkhin thc Tavern cry, "Awake, my Littlc oncs, and fill the Cup Before Life T s Liquor in its Cup be dry," m And, as the Cock crew, thosc *vho stood bcfore The Tavern shouted — "Open then the Door, You know how little while we have to stay a Andj once departed, may return no more." IV Now the New Year reviving old Desires, The thonghtful Soul to Solitude retires, Where thc White Hand of Moses on the Bough Puts out, and Jesus from the Ground suspires. V Iram indccd is gonc with all its Rose, And Jamshyd's ScvWing'd Cup whcre no one knows; But still the Vine her ancient Ruby yields, And still a Gardcn by the Watcr blows. VI And David's Lips are lock't; but in divine High piping Peleyi, witli "Winel Wine! Wine! Red Wine ! " — the Nightingale cries to thc Rose That yellow Cheek o£ hers to'incaniadine. VII Come^ fill the Cup, and m the Fire of Spring The Winter Garment of Repentance fling: Thc Bird of Timc has but a littlc way Io fly - -and Lo ! the Bird is on the Wing. VIII And look — a thousand Blossoms with the Day Woke---and a thousand scatterM into Clay: And this first Summer Month that brings the Rose Shall take Jamshyd and Kaikobad away. JL X But corne with old Khayyam, and !eave the Lot Of Kaikobad and Kaikhosru forgot: Let Rustum lay about him as he will, Or Hatim Tai cry Supper — heed them not* With mc along somc Strip of Herbage strown That just divides the desert from the sown, Whcre namc of Slave and Sultan scarce is known, And pity Sultan Mahmud on his Throne. XI Here with a Loaf of Rread beneath the Bough, A Flask o£ Wine, a Book o£ Verse — and Thou Beside me singing in the Wilderness — And Wilderness is Paradise enow. XII "How sweet is mortal Sovranty!" — think some: Othcrs — "How blest the Paradise to come!" Ahj take the Cash in hand and waive the Rest : Oh, the brave Music of a distant Drum! xn Look to the Rose that blows about us — "Lo ? Laughing," she says, "into the World I blow: At once tlie silkcn Tassel of my Purse Tear, and its Trcasure on the Garden throw." XIV The Worldly Hope men set their Hcarts upon Turns Ashes— or it prospers; 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 5 And those who flung it to the Winds like Rain s Alike to no such aureate Earth are turn'd As, buricd oncc, Men want dug up again. T" ^./La /--■ m v & : .-.'.■ K . ■ i M o *l 1CLVP_ S o^ ^^thia dfatieis_4&rectetl JtoMJJ-^-.l--»^^^' XVI Thinkj in this batter'd Caravanserai Whose Doorways are alternate Night and Day, How Sultan aftcr Sultan with his Pomp Abode his Hour or two, and went his way„ xvn They say the Lion and the Lizard keep The Courts whcre Jamshyd gloried and drank deep: And Bahram, that grcat Hunter — the Wild Ass Stamps o'er his Head^ and he lies fast asleep. "-•r.*ii^fiv-' XVIII I sometimes think that never blows so red The Rose as where some buried Caesar bled; That every Hyacinth the Garden wears Dropt in its Lap from some once loveiy Head* XIX And this dclightful Herb whosc tender Green Fledges the River*s Lip on which wc lean — Ah, lean npon it lightly! for who knows From what once lovely Lip it springs unsecn! *§?$> « jSgs^TVe J < Xl& f' J XX Ah ! my BeloYed, flll the Cup that clears To-day of past Regrets and future Fears — To-morrow? — Why, To-morrow I may be Myself with Ycsterday's Sev*n Thousand Years, XXI Lo! some wc loved, the loveliest and the best That Time and Fatc of all thcir Vintage prcst, Have drunk their Cup a Round or two bcfore^ And one by one crept silently to Rest XXII And we, that now makc merry in thc Room Thcy lcft, and Summer dresses in new Bloom, Ourselves must we beneath the Couch of Earth Descend, ourselves to make a Couch — for whorn? I Ah, make the most of what we yet may spend, Before wc too into the Dust Desccnd; Dust into Dust, and under Dust, to lie, Sans Wine, sans Song, sans Singer and— sans End ! p.£h»jfcifr. j.j^kkty^"' XXIV Alike for those who for to-day prepare, And those that after a to-morrow stare, A Muezzin from thc Tower of Darkness cries "Fools ! your Reward is neither Here nor There." XXV Why ? all thc Saints and Sages who discuss'd Of thc Two Worlds so learnedly, are thrust Like roolish Prophets forth; their Words to Scorn Are scatter'd, and their Mouths arc stopt with Dust XXVI Oh, come with old Khayyam, and leave the Wise To talk; one thing is certain, that Life flies; One thing is certain, and thc Rest is Lics; ■m. The Flowcr that once has blown for ever dies. XXVI Mysehr whcn young did eagerly frequent Doctor and Saint, and heard great Argument About it and about: but evermore Came out by the same Door as in I went. XXVIII With them the Seed of Wisdom did I sow, And with my own hand labour'd it to grow: And this was all the Harvest that I reapM — u l came like Water, and like Wind I go." Into this Universe, and why not knowing, Nor whence, like Water willy-nilly Aowing; And out of it, as Wind along the Waste^ I know not whither, willy-nilly blowing. JK.J^La What, without asking, hither hurried whence} And, without asking, whithcr hurried hence! Another and another Cup to drown The Memory of this Impertinence ! XXXI Up from Earth ! s Centre through thc sevemh Gati* I rosc> and on the Throne of Saturn satc, And many Knots unraverd by the Road ; But not the Knot of Human Death and Fate, There was a Door to which I found no Key: There was a Veil past which I could not see: Some little Talk awhilc of Me and Thee There seemed — and then no more of Thee and Me, Then to the rolling Heav'n itself I eried, Asking, "What Lamp had Destiny to guide Her little Children stumbling in the Dark?" And — "A blind understanding ! M Heav'n replied. Then to this earthen Bowl did I adjourn My Lip the secret Wcll of Life to learn: And Lip to Lip it murmur'd — "Whilc you live, Drink! — for once dead you never shall return." XXXV I think the Yessel^ that with fugitive Articulation answer^d, once did live 5 And merry-make; and the cold Lip I kiss'd How many Kisses might it take — and give. XXXVI For in the Market-place, one Dusk ot Day, I watch J d the Potter thumping his wet Clay: And with its all obliterated Tongue It murmur'd — "Gently, Brother, gently, pray! XXXVI One Moment in Annihilation*s Waste ? One momentj of the Well of Life to taste — ■ The Stars are setting> and the Caravan Starts for the dawn of Nothing — Oh, make haste ! XXXV Ah, fill the Cup: — what boots it to repeat How Timc is slipping underneath our Feet: Unborn To~morrow and dead Yesterday Why fret about them if To-day be sweet! ^ v ' t * I r?"~h_TU "'' h £■(■ v m ^fl§e Was never deep in anything but — Wine, XLII And lately, by the Tavern Door agape, Camc stcaling through the Dusk an Angel Shape, Bearlng a vcsscl on his Shoulder; and Hc bid me taste of it; and 'twas — the Grape! II The Grape that can with Logic absolnte The Two-and-Seyenty jarring Sccts confute: The subtle Alchcmist that in a Trice Life's leaden Metal into Gold transmute .IV The mighty Mahmud, the victorious Lord, That all the misbelieving and black Horde Of Fears and Sorrows that infest the Soul Scattcrs and slays with his enchanted Sword, P4bjtnwK ■, M KHSiS^ S?! ^i^ssT" XLV But leave the Wisc to wranglc> and witb me The Quarrel of the Universe let be : Andj in sonie corner o£ the Hubbub coucht, Make Game of that which makes as much of Thee. XLVI For in and out, above,, about, below, 'Tis nothing but a Magic Shadow-show, Play'd in a Box whose Candle is the Sun, Round which we Phantom Figurcs come and ga xlw And i£ thc Wine you drink, the Lip you prcss ? End in the Nothing all Things cnd in— Yes — Then fancy while Thou art, Thou art but what Thou shalt be — Nothing — Thou shalt not be less. XLVI1 While the Rose blows along the River Brink, With old Khayyam the Ruby Vintagc drink; And when the Angel with his darkcr Draught Draws up to thee — take that, and do not shrink, XLIX 'Tis all a Chequer-board of Nights and Days Where Destiny with Men for Pieces plays: Hither and thither moves, and mates, and slays^ And onc by one back in the Closet lays« L The Ball no Question makes of Ayes and Noes> But Right or Left as strikes the Player goes; And He that toss'd Thee down into the Field 3 He knows about it all — He knows — HE knows! LI The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, Moves on: nor all thy Piety nor Wit Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line, Nor all thy Tears wash out a Word of it. L And that iiwerted Bowl we call The Sky, Whereunder crawling coop't we live and die, Lift not thy hands to It £or help — £or It Rolls impotently on as Thou or L -.■ LIII With Earth^s rirst Clay They did the Last Man's knead, And then of the Last Harvest sow'd the Seed: Yea^ the iirst Morning of Creation wrote What the Last Dawn o£ Rcckoning shall read. LIV I tell Thee this— When, starting from the GoaI 5 Over the shoulders of the Aaming Foal Of Heav'n Parwin and Mushtan they flung 5 In my predestuYd Plot of Dust and Soul _ J\\ mt-v t! tw — EDtpun^. S-i tJTii^ -^b/ LV The Vine had struck a Fibre ; which about It clings my Bcing — let the Sufi flout; Of my Base Metal may be filed a Key, That shall unlock the Door he howls without VI And this I know: whether thc one True Light, Kindlc to Loye, or Wrath consume me quite, One Glimpse o£ It within the Tavern caught Better than in the Temple lost outright. LVII Oh Thou who didst with Pkfall and with Gin Beset thc Road I was to wander in, Thou wilt not with Predestination ronnd Enmesh me, and impute my Fall to Sinr ^L. =7- ■U-ctP P 1 j^>r-Jr Ph! *~""i."^EvB CDn.-"-( -V *i >-J-. . -.m.. hAA. "t«d. t£SUSf ■ J3L- "'M? L^E^^^Il* 1 " , ^SB3k.l - EM- MUtt Tli^TnT JttiA - ^fc yjfcY^ Love ! could thou and I with Fate conspire To grasp this sorry Scheme of Things entirc, Would not we shatter it to bits — and then Re-mould it nearer to the Heart*s Desire! LXXV And when Thyself with shining Foot shall pass Among the Guests Star-scatter*d on Thc Grass, And in Thy joyous Errand reach the Spot Where I made one— turn down an empty Glass! TAMAM SHUD,