Quatrain Five from Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam

A more poetic and interpretive translation

With hues as bright as tulips, form so tall,
I bloom and fade, answering beauty’s call.

Yet in this earthly tavern, dark and deep,
Why did the Cosmic Artist shape me so to keep?

A more contemporary and informal translation

I'm pretty and fragrant, it's plain to see,
Like a tulip so red and a cypress so free,

But why did the universe make me this way,
In this dusty old world where we all decay?

"هر چند که رنگ و بوی زیباست مرا": This directly translates to "though my color and fragrance are beautiful," but it also implies a sense of vanity or self-awareness of one's appearance.

"چون لاله رخ و چو سرو بالاست مرا": This line compares the speaker's beauty to that of a tulip and a cypress, two symbols of beauty in Persian poetry.

"معلوم نشد که در طربخانه خاک": This phrase means "it's unknown in the tavern of dust," and refers to the world as a temporary and fleeting place.

"نقاش ازل بهر چه آراست مرا": This translates to "why the eternal Painter adorned me," and refers to the creator or God as an artist who has given the speaker beauty.

Key themes in these lines:

The transience of life: The reference to the "tavern of dust" emphasizes the temporary nature of life.
The purpose of beauty: The speaker questions the reason for their beauty in a world that is ultimately fleeting.
The role of the creator: The poem alludes to a higher power or creator who has given the speaker beauty.