From: ketabchi@cs.umn.edu (Farshid Ketabchi)
Subject: A RobAee by KhayyAm
Summary: A poem by KhayyAm, its translation along with comments
Date: 13 Aug 91 21:29:55 GMT



	mAeem o mey o motreb o in konj-e kharAb
		jAn o del o jAm o jAmeh por dard-e sharAb

	fArogh ze omid-e rahmat o beem-e azAb
		Azad ze khAk o bAd o az Atash o Ab

				KhayyAm [approx 407-517 Hejri]
				Persian mathematician, scientist, poet

Translation:

[An attempt; not a literal translation but closer to
the original than other English translations I've seen.
(semi-col indicates end of each line above:)]

It is us, the wine, the music, and this run-down corner;
Our flesh and heart, the wine glass, and our cloths,
all filled with the desire for wine;

Free from the hope of forgiveness (heaven,) and free from the
fear of punishment and pain (hell;)
(And) free from dirt (soil,) wind, fire, and water;


Comments:

KhayyAm in this robAee, like many others, gives a glimpse of his
philosophy of life: 

	Being free, carefree, living for the moment, not
	regreting the past and not worrying about the
	future, and loving his three most favorite things
	in life: lovers, music, and good wine!

In the second beyt (the second two-lines) of the above poem he
expresses his attitude towards religions.  In the first masra
of that beyt, he states his disbelief of heaven and hell, which
is directed towards Islam as well as other related theistic
religions.  In the second half of that beyt he refuses
Zoroastrianism (Zartoshti.)  The four things mentioned there
are the four basic elements in Zoroastrianism.


	Farshid Ketabchi
	ketabchi@cs.umn.edu
	Computer Science Department
	University of Minnesota
	Minneapolis, MN