Quatrain 57 from Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam
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آنکس که زمین و چرخ و افلاک نهادبس داغ که او بر دل غمناک نهاد
بسیار لب چو لعل و زلفین چو مشکدر طبل زمین و حقهٔ خاک نهاد
Description:
A Challenge in Translating Omar Khayyam's Rubai
This particular rubai of Omar Khayyam is rich in philosophical and cosmological undertones, making a direct, literal translation quite challenging. The imagery of the creator, the earth, the heavens, and the comparison of lips to rubies and hair to musk, along with the concept of a "drum of earth" and a "bag of dust," contribute to the poem's depth and complexity.
English Translation
A more literal translation
He who created the earth, the heavens, and the spheres,
Has placed many a sorrow upon our grieving hearts.
Many lips like rubies and hair like musk
He has placed in the drum of earth and the bag of dust.
A more poetic and interpretive translation
The Maker of the cosmos, vast and wide,
Has filled our hearts with sorrow's tide.
With ruby lips and hair of darkest night,
He's filled the earth with beauty and with blight.
A contemporary and informal translation
The one who made the world, so grand and deep,
Has given us a lot of pain to keep.
With beauty all around, it's true,
Yet life is short, and death will come for you.
"آنکس که زمین و چرخ و افلاک نهاد": This line refers to the creator, the being who brought the universe into existence.
"بس داغ که او بر دل غمناک نهاد": This line suggests that the creator has inflicted many sorrows upon humanity.
"بسیار لب چو لعل و زلفین چو مشک": This line describes the physical beauty of human beings, comparing lips to rubies and hair to musk.
"در طبل زمین و حقهٔ خاک نهاد": These phrases are metaphorical, suggesting that all beauty and life eventually return to the earth.
Themes and Interpretations
The duality of existence: The rubai highlights the duality of existence, with beauty and sorrow existing side by side.
The impermanence of life: The poem emphasizes the fleeting nature of life and the inevitability of death.
The role of the creator: The rubai raises questions about the nature of the creator and their relationship to humanity.
This rubai is a profound meditation on the human condition. The imagery of the creator, the earth, and the heavens creates a powerful visual representation of the mysteries of existence.