Quatrain 15 from Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam
Quatrain 15 from Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam
By
@admin
این کوزه چو من عاشق زاری بودهست
در بند سر زلف نگاری بودهست
این دسته که بر گردن او میبینی
دستیست که بر گردن یاری بودهست
Description:
A Note on this Rubai
The rubai you've provided is a beautiful and evocative example of Omar Khayyam's work. It uses a simple object, a jug or vase, as a metaphor for the human experience, particularly the experience of love and loss.
English Translation
A more literal translation
This jug, like me, has been a sorrowful lover,
Bound by the curls of a beloved's hair.
This handle that you see around its neck,
Is a hand that was once around a lover's neck.
A more poetic and interpretive translation
This vase, once held by a lover's hand,
Now sits alone, upon this barren land.
Its handle curved, a lover's arm it seems,
A silent witness to forgotten dreams.
A contemporary and informal translation
This old jug, it's seen some lonely days,
Once held close, in love's sweet haze.
That handle there, a lover's embrace,
A memory etched on its worn face.
"این کوزه چو من عاشق زاری بودهست": This line compares the jug to a sorrowful lover, suggesting that both have experienced heartbreak and loss.
"در بند سر زلف نگاری بودهست": This line implies that the jug was once used to hold wine or other liquids, which were often associated with love and pleasure.
"این دسته که بر گردن او میبینی": The handle of the jug is seen as a metaphor for a lover's arm around another's neck.
"دستیست که بر گردن یاری بودهست": This line reinforces the idea that the jug has a history of love and intimacy.
Themes and Interpretations
Love and loss: The poem explores the themes of love, loss, and the passage of time.
The transience of beauty: The image of the jug, once beautiful and full, now empty and worn, suggests the impermanence of beauty and youth.
The power of memory: The jug serves as a reminder of past relationships and experiences.
This rubai is a beautiful and evocative meditation on the human condition. It invites us to consider our own experiences of love, loss, and longing.