Quatrain 7 from Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam
Quatrain 7 from Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam
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آن قصر که جمشید در او جام گرفت
آهو بچه کرد و روبه آرام گرفت
بهرام که گور می گرفتی همه عمر
دیدی 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.
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.
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.
"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.
"آهو بچه کرد و روبه آرام گرفت": This line paints a picture of the palace in ruins, now inhabited by wild animals.
"بهرام که گور می گرفتی همه عمر": Bahram was a famous Sassanian king known for his hunting prowess.
"دیدی که چگونه گور بهرام گرفت": This line emphasizes the ultimate fate of all, even the mighty, is to be claimed by death.
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.