Quatrain 7 from Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam

By admin @admin | 15 7

آن قصر که جمشید در او جام گرفتآهو بچه کرد و روبه آرام گرفت


بهرام که گور می گرفتی همه عمردیدی که چگونه گور بهرام گرفت


Description:

A Note on this Rubai

The rubai presented here is another famous example of Omar Khayyam's work. It's often interpreted as a commentary on the transience of power and the ultimate fate of all human beings.

English Translation

A more literal translation

That palace where Jamshid drank from his cup,
Became a lair for gazelles, a den for foxes.

Bahram, who hunted zebras all his life,
See how the grave has captured Bahram.


admin
@admin July 25, 2024, 2:24 p.m.

A more poetic and interpretive translation

Where Jamshid feasted, now wild creatures roam,
The once grand palace, now a desolate home.

Bahram, the zebra-hunter, mighty and bold,
Lies still in the grave, a story untold.

admin
@admin July 25, 2024, 2:25 p.m.

A more contemporary and informal translation

The palace where Jamshid partied, so grand,
Is now a ruin, with wild things on hand.

Bahram, the great hunter, strong and tough,
Is just a skeleton, six feet under the stuff.

admin
@admin July 25, 2024, 2:25 p.m.

"آن قصر که جمشید در او جام گرفت": This line refers to the legendary palace of Jamshid, a figure associated with ancient Persian kingship and grandeur.

admin
@admin July 25, 2024, 2:25 p.m.

"آهو بچه کرد و روبه آرام گرفت": This line paints a picture of the palace in ruins, now inhabited by wild animals.

admin
@admin July 25, 2024, 2:26 p.m.

"بهرام که گور می گرفتی همه عمر": Bahram was a famous Sassanian king known for his hunting prowess.

admin
@admin July 25, 2024, 2:26 p.m.

"دیدی که چگونه گور بهرام گرفت": This line emphasizes the ultimate fate of all, even the mighty, is to be claimed by death.

admin
@admin July 25, 2024, 3:02 p.m.

Themes and Interpretations

Transience of power: The poem underscores the idea that even the most powerful and opulent empires eventually fall into ruin.
Inevitability of death: The fate of both Jamshid and Bahram highlights the universality of death.
Vanity of human endeavors: The contrast between the grandeur of the palace and its eventual decay suggests the futility of human achievements.