Omar Khayyam's exquisite quatrains require no introduction and Edward Fitzgerald's translation does full justice to his verses.Please enjoy....
One Moment in Annihilation's Waste,
One Moment, of the Well of Life to taste---
The Stars are setting and the Caravan
Starts for the Dawn of Nothing---Oh, make haste!
'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 one by one back in the Closet lays.
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,
*He* knows about it all---He knows---HE knows!
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.
Thanks for the share.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to jeeteraho Bushra and thanks for visiting.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful, though I will have to read it again to appreciate it in totality but of all that I gathered, I loved it. I found it deep and soulful. Will definitely read more of him. Many thanks for sharing these lovely works with us, Induji :)
ReplyDeleteYes Arti his verses are deep and philosophical....al that we see and think about this universe--he says it poetically and concisely!
DeleteIt is a privilege to share them with you!
Good read. :)
ReplyDeletethanks Indrani.
DeleteBeautiful Indujee I have always been a fan of Khayyam
ReplyDeleteIt is a pleasure to share them with connoisseurs like you!
DeleteIndu ji
ReplyDeleteI too have this book --and really wonder at the words of wisdom written by Omar Khayyam All his couplets have some hidden words of sagacity whatever be the context .
Thanks for reminding me of this .
In fact though the book I have is my fathers ---but I was introduced to the couplets by our english teacher Fr Addy he always used to cite --the moving finger writes ....." In fact I used to think Omar Khayaam was only about Saqi and Maikhana and meant only for adults --:)--untill I got to read it myself
I still read this at times though the papers have become brittle with time
thanks once again
warm regards
rajni
Rajni i too am trying to reconcile his great wisdom with couplets about saaki & maikhana...i shall read them again to see if there is another interpretation to it.
ReplyDeleteLots of love!
About the only Khayyam I could quote was that "The moving finger writes and having writ moves on.." Not that I do not relish Khayyam but I am bad at remembering quotes :)
ReplyDeleteYes the English version is very famous.
DeleteIt is very interesting.
ReplyDeleteThanks Chowla ji for reading & commending
DeleteQuite interesting and very philosophical. Loved the comparison of sky to an inverted bowl!
ReplyDeleteTrue ,these verses are full of wisdom.
DeleteAgree with Jaishree, Induji! Wishing you a lovely New Year!
DeleteThank you Rahul,this is the first New Year greeting that i am getting.
DeleteI wish the same for you and your own.
Nice ones. Somehow the low attention span blog reading time is not best for deeper poetry though. Maybe we should sit together and read and discuss to fully grasp.
ReplyDeleteTrue,mulling over these verses gives better understanding.
DeleteVery interesting to read the above verse. It brought back memories of Khayyam's poetry. It has a depth which one cannot understand in the first reading.
ReplyDeleteVisiting your site for the first time. Enjoyed reading it thoroughly.
Your visit is special Usha-a hearty welcome to you.
DeleteYes he is one such poet-i am amazed at the depth of his thinking and the lucidity of his expression-likewise the translator.
The more we read him the more he sort of grows upon us.Thanks Ashwini and Happy New Year to you & your family.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful verse. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure Indian Writer.
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