Quatrain 43 from Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam
Quatrain 43 from Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam
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من هیچ ندانم که مرا آنکه سرشت
از اهل بهشت کرد یا دوزخ زشت
جامی و بتی و بربطی بر لب کشت
این هرسه مرا نقد و تو را نسیه بهشت
Description:
A Note on this Rubai
This rubai is another classic example of Omar Khayyam's hedonistic philosophy and his skepticism towards religious dogma. It challenges the traditional notions of heaven and hell, focusing instead on the immediate pleasures of life.
English Translation
A more literal translation
I do not know who created me,
from the people of paradise or the ugly hell,
A cup, a beloved, and a lute on the bank of a stream,
These three are my cash, and for you, paradise is credit.
A more poetic and interpretive translation
I know not whence I came, from heaven's height,
Or hell's abyss, this shadowed world of night.
But in this life, I find my joy and ease,
With wine, with love, beneath the willow trees.
A contemporary and informal translation
I don't know where I came from, heaven or hell,
But I've got wine, a lover, and all is well.
These are my treasures, here and now,
While you wait for heaven, I'll take a bow.
"من هیچ ندانم که مرا آنکه سرشت": This line expresses uncertainty about one's origins and purpose.
"از اهل بهشت کرد یا دوزخ زشت": This contrasts the traditional notions of heaven and hell as places of origin.
"جامی و بتی و بربطی بر لب کشت": This line describes the earthly pleasures of wine, love, and music.
"این هرسه مرا نقد و تو را نسیه بهشت": This contrasts the immediate, tangible pleasures of life with the promised but deferred rewards of the afterlife.
Themes and Interpretations
Skepticism towards religion: Khayyam questions traditional religious beliefs about the afterlife and the nature of the soul.
Hedonism: The poem celebrates the pleasures of the senses and the importance of living in the moment.
Indifference to the afterlife: Khayyam expresses a lack of concern about what happens after death.
This rubai is a powerful statement about the value of earthly pleasures and the limitations of religious belief. By focusing on the immediate joys of life and questioning the existence of an afterlife, Khayyam invites the reader to live in the present moment and savor life's simple pleasures.