The clouds weep upon the green that without red wine, life should not be seen. This is the theme of quatrain 8 from Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam:
ابر آمد و باز بر سر سبزه گریست
بی بادهی گلرنگ نمی باید زیست
این سبزه که امروز تماشاگه ماست
تا سبزهی خاک ما تماشاگه کیست
The Clouds Weep
The clouds have come and wept upon the green,
Without red wine, life should not be seen.
This verdant earth we gaze upon today,
Who will gaze upon our verdant earth someday?
This translation captures the poem's beautiful imagery and its profound contemplation of life's true nature. The poem's first line sets the scene with the arrival of clouds weeping upon the green, evoking a sense of melancholy and the passage of time. The second line emphasizes the importance of wine, a symbol of joy and revelry, in making life worth living. The life worth living is a life full of joy.
The third and fourth lines shift the focus to the broader theme of mortality. The speaker asks who will gaze upon the same verdant earth that we now behold, suggesting that our own existence is as ephemeral as the changing seasons. This poignant question serves as a reminder to enjoy the present and to live life to the fullest. We are looking at the legacy of people who came before us. Beware that someday others look at our legacy, so try to create a great scenery.
