یک جام شراب صد دل و دین ارزد
In a little wine
in solitude
is much pleasure, some comfort
and a little insight.
Do not exceed the optimal dose.
در شراب اندک
A drop of wine evaporates –
and with it : you.
and with it : you.
یک جام شراب صد دل و دین ارزد
2 comments:
The first line of Farsi can be translated: A cup of wine is worth an hundred hearts and souls
یک جام شراب صد دل و دین ارزد
To Omar Kháyyám the quaffing of wine represented and could/can sometimes induce
the absorption of Insight. Drunkenness is Sufi code for Wisdom, Understanding.
Exalted states can, of course, be induced by other potions, concoctions and smokes, but Omar sticks to wine. The Hashishín were a long way away !
The 'Tavern' that Omar K. refers to in his series of quatrains is The Heart.
But it is more like a quiet, private bar. A hundred glasses of wine might well produce Red Religon.
یک جام شراب صد دل و دین ارزد
For a handsome and handmade presentation of FitzGerald's version[s] of Omar Kháyyám, see:
http://beyond-the-pale.uk/fitzgerald.htm
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