Page:The Sacred Books and Early Literature of the East, Volume 08.djvu/114



I wish that Allah would rebuild these skies,

And earth, and that at once, before my eyes,

And either 'rase my name from off his roll,

Or else relieve my dire necessities!

Lord! make thy bounty's cup for me to flow,

And bread unbegged for day by day bestow;

Yea, with thy wine make me beside myself.

No more to feel the headache of my woe!

Omar! of burning heart, perchance to burn

In hell, and feed its bale-fires in thy turn,

Presume not to teach Allah clemency,

For who art thou to teach, or He to learn?

Cheer up! your lot was settled yesterday!

Heedless of all that you might do or say,

Without so much as "By your leave" they fixed

Your lot for all the morrows yesterday!

I never would have come, had I been asked,

I would as lief not go, if I were asked,

And, to be short, I would annihilate

All coming, being, going, were I asked!

Man is a cup, his soul the wine therein,

Flesh is a pipe, spirit the voice within;

O Khayyam, have you fathomed what man is?

A magic lantern with a light therein!