Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam

 

 Page 2

 

Literal:

The caravan of life shall always pass
Beware that is fresh as sweet young grass
Let’s not worry about what tomorrow will amass
Fill my cup again, this night will pass, alas.

 

Meaning:

To be aware of each moment spent
Is to live in the now, and be present
Worry for morrow shan’t make a dent
Caring for the now, your mind must be bent.

 

Fitzgerald:

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!

 

German:


Diese Lebenskarawane ist ein seltsamer Zug,
Drum hasche die flüchtige Freude im Elug!
Mach' Dir im künftigen Gram keine Sorgen,
Fülle das Glas, bald naht wieder der Morgen!

 

 

Literal:

Happily I walked with the tavern down the line
Passed an old drunk, holding a bottle of wine
"Do you not fear God?" was reproach of mine
said, "Mercy is God’s sign, in silence I wine and dine."

 

Meaning:

Our world upon joy and love was once built
Why is it that we reproach and cause guilt?
If we can simply correct our moral tilt,
We too will only will what God wilt.

 

Fitzgerald:

And lately, by the Tavern Door agape,
Came stealing through the Dusk an Angel Shape,
Bearing a vessel on his Shoulder; and
He bid me taste of it; and 'twas--the Grape!

 

German:

Als gestern mich mein Fuß ins Weinhaus trug
Sah einen trunknen Greis ich, den ich frug:
((Fürch'st du dich nicht vor Gott? Er aber sprach:
((Gott ist ja gnädig, trink! du bist nicht klug.))

 

 

Literal:

It is a day neither hot nor cold,
Clouds help the dry flowers unfold
Canary with his song to the flower told
Drink while you can, yourself don’t scold.

 

Meaning:

When events unfold with calm and ease
When the winds that blow are merely breeze
Learn from nature, from birds and bees
Live your life in love, and let joy not cease.

 

Fitzgerald:

And David's Lips are lock't; but in divine
High piping Pelevi, with "Wine! Wine! Wine!
Red Wine!"--the Nightingale cries to the Rose
That yellow Cheek of hers to'incarnadine.

 

German:

Weder heiß noch kalt ist's heute, ein prächtiges
        Wetter:
Frisch vom Regen gewaschen prangen Rosen-
        kelche und Blätter
Und die Nachtigall scheint zu den gelben Blumen
        zu singen:
Laßt auch Ihr von dem himmlischen Naß Euch
        belebend durchdringen.

 

 

Literal:

This Old World we’ve named Cosmos by mistake
Is the graveyard of nights & days, no more awake
And a feast that hundred Jamshid’s did break
And a throne that hundred Bahram’s did make.

 

Meaning:

This reality that is the world of physical
Is in truth a temporal illusion, magical
Into which we are born with a joyous call
Rule the world for some time until we fall.

 

Fitzgerald:

Think, in this batter'd Caravanserai
Whose Doorways are alternate Night and Day,
How Sultan after Sultan with his Pomp
Abode his Hour or two, and went his way.

 

German:

Dies alte Karawanserai, gennant die Welt,
Bald nächtig dunkel, bald vom Tag erhellt,
Ist nur ein Rest von alten Herrlichkeiten,
Ein Grab von Königen, hochgerühmt vor Zeiten.

 

 

Literal:

The secrets eternal neither you know nor I
And answers to the riddle neither you know nor I
Behind the veil there is much talk about us, why
When the veil falls, neither you remain nor I.

 

Meaning:

In vain we scream, in vain shout
And try our best to find out
And when it’s end of our route
What’s left is simply naught.

 

Fitzgerald:

There was a Door to which I found no Key:
There was a Veil past which I could not see:
Some little Talk awhile of ME and THEE
There seemed--and then no more of THEE and ME.

 

German:

Das Rätsel dieser Welt löst weder Du noch ich,
Jene geheime Schrift liest weder Du noch ich.
Wir wüssten beide gern, was jener Schleier birgt,
Doch wenn der Schleier fällt, bist weder Du noch ich.

 

 

Literal:

Before time takes you by surprise
Ask for good red wine and get wise
You are not of gold, don’t believe the lies
You are put to dust, once again you’ll rise.

 

Meaning:

Do not focus upon the size
Nor for the worldly compromise
Quality is your only prize
Transcend your earthly disguise
Without fear, without despise
With love and joy improvise.

 

Fitzgerald:

And those who husbanded the Golden Grain,
And those who flung it to the Winds like Rain,
Alike to no such aureate Earth are turn'd
As, buried once, Men want dug up again.

 

German:

Eh' Du ein Opfer wirst der Pein des Lebens,
O Holde, trink den rosigen Wein des Lebens.
Der Thor nur glaubt, daß man wie Gold ihn nieder
In's Grab senkt und als Gold herauszieht wieder.

 

Literal:

I brought the cup to my lips with greed
Begging for longevity, my temporal need
Cup brought its to mine, its secret did feed
Time never returns, drink, of this take heed.

 

Meaning:

The only secret that you need to know
The passage of time is a one way flow
If you understand, joyously you’ll grow
Else you will drown in your own sorrow.

 

Fitzgerald:

Then to this earthen Bowl did I adjourn
My Lip the secret Well of Life to learn:
And Lip to Lip it murmur'd--"While you live,
Drink!--for once dead you never shall return."

 

German:

Ich führ' den Krug zum Mund, er soll mich lehren,
Wie dieses Leben länger möchte währen,
Und meine Lippen küssend flüstert er:
((Trink Wein! Du wirst zur Welt nicht wiederkehren. ))

 

 

Literal:

All my companions, one by one died
With Angel of Death they now reside
In the banquette of life same wine we tried
A few cups back, they fell to the side.

 

Meaning:

In the feast of life vulgar and chaste
The same temporal wine must taste
Some stay longer, some leave in haste
To focus upon the end is but waste.

 

Fitzgerald:

Lo! some we loved, the loveliest and the best
That Time and Fate of all their Vintage prest,
Have drunk their Cup a Round or two before,
And one by one crept silently to Rest.

 

German:

Ja, alle Freunde, die zu Song und Wort
Vor uns versammelt sich am trauten Ort
Sowei, drei Runden, tranken ihren, Becher
Und gingen einer nach dem andern fort.

 

 

Literal:

As the rising Venus and moon in the skies appear
To the goodness of quality wine, nothing comes near
I am amazed at the vendors of a liquid so dear
Where they’ll buy a better thing, is not clear.

 

Meaning:

When we lay down our defense
And return to our sense
Realize that it is dense
To trade the now for hence.

 

Fitzgerald:

And much as Wine has play'd the Infidel,
And robb'd me of my Robe of Honour-well,
I often wonder what the Vintners buy
One half so precious as the Goods they sell.

 

German:

Seit der Mond und Venus am Himmel steh'n
Ward, auf Erden nicht Edleres als Wein gesehn,
Der Weinhändler ist ein erstaunlicher Mann,
Da er Besseres verkauft als er kufen kann.

 

 

Literal:

Don’t permit sorrow to be your friend
Sadness and pain become your trend
Don’t let the book or the farm you tend
Rule your life before to earth you descend.

 

Meaning:

Before to dust you shall return
There is one thing that you must learn
Sorrow and pain your soul shall burn
Joy and bliss to light shall turn.

 

Fitzgerald:

Ah, make the most of what we yet may spend,
Before we too into the Dust Descend;
Dust into Dust, and under Dust, to lie,
Sans Wine, sans Song, sans Singer and--sans End!

 

German:

Mit Weltschmerz Deine Seele plage nicht!
Um das, was einmal hin ist, klage nicht!
An Wein und süßen Lippen laß dein Herz,
Und in den Wind dein Leben schlage nicht!

 

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