Chapter III: Part 3

Ah, my Belovéd, fill the Cup that clears
TO-DAY of past Regrets and future Fears:
_To-morrow!_--Why, To-morrow I may be
Myself with Yesterday's Sev'n thousand Years.

This quatrain is translated from C. 348.

Come, O friend! and let us not suffer anguish concerning the morrow.
Let us take advantage of these few ready-money moments,
When, to-morrow, we depart from the face of the earth
We shall be equal with those who went seven thousand years ago.

_Ref._: C. 348, L. 546, B. 540, S.P. 268, P. 122, B. ii. 351, T. 233, P. v. 96.--W. 312, N. 269, V. 586.

XXII.

For some we loved, the loveliest and the best
That from his Vintage rolling Time hath prest,
Have drunk their Cup a Round or two before,
And one by one crept silently to rest.

The inspiration for this quatrain is found in C. 185.

All my sympathetic friends have left me,
One by one they have sunk low at the foot of Death.
In the fellowship of souls they were cup-companions,
A turn or two before me they became drunk.

_Ref._: C. 185, L. 381, B. 377, P. ii. 4, B. ii. 141.--W. 219, V. 379.

XXIII.

And we, that now make merry in the Room
They left, and Summer dresses in new bloom,
Ourselves must we beneath the Couch of Earth
Descend--ourselves to make a Couch--for whom?

The main inspiration of this quatrain comes from C. 388.

Arise, and do not sorrow for this fleeting world,
Be at peace, and pass through the world with happiness.
If the nature of the world were constant
The turn of others would not have descended to you yourself.[42]

_Ref._: C. 388, L. 585, B. 578, S.P. 322, P. 159 and 178, B. ii. 430, T. 264, P. iv. 29 and 62.--W. 366, N. 325, V. 632.

Combined with the suggestion contained in this ruba'i, we find the echo of a sentiment that recurs continually in the originals, _e.g._, C. 82 (ll. 3 and 4) and O. 129 (ll. 3 and 4).

This verdure, which for the present is my pleasure-ground
Until the verdure (springing) from my clay shall become
a pleasure-ground--for whom?

_Ref._: C. 82, L. 191, B. 188, S.P. 70, P. 305, B. ii. 36, T. 63 and 351.--W. 73, N. 70, V. 187.

Sit upon the greensward, O Idol, for it will not be long
Ere that greensward shall grow from my dust and thine.

_Ref._: O. 129, C. 416, L. 634, B. 626, S.P. 345, P. 47, B. ii. 464, P. v. 131--W. 390, N. 348, E.C. 3, V. 683.

XXIV.

Ah, make the most of what we yet may spend,
Before we too into the Dust descend;
Dust into Dust, and under Dust to lie,
Sans Wine, sans Song, sans Singer, and--sans End!

The inspiration for this quatrain is found in the following (O. 76 and 35).

Do not allow sorrow to embrace thee,
Nor an idle grief to occupy thy days,
Forsake not the book and the lover's lips and the green bank
of the field,
Ere that the earth enfold thee in its bosom.

_Ref._: O. 76, C. 173, L. 315, B. 311, P. 189, B. ii. 233, T. 121, P. v. 39.--de T. 9, V. 317.

Drink wine, for thou wilt sleep long beneath the clay
Without an intimate, a friend, a comrade, or a mate.

_Ref._: O. 35, C. 80, L. 188, B. 185, P. 284, T. 60.--W. 107, V. 184.

XXV.

Alike for those who for TO-DAY prepare,
And those that after some TO-MORROW stare,
A Muezzin from the Tower of Darkness cries,
«Fools! your Reward is neither Here nor There.»

The inspiration for this quatrain is in C. 396.

Some are immersed in contemplation of doctrine and faith,
Others stand stupefied between doubt and certainty,
Suddenly a Muezzin, from his lurking place, cries out
«O Fools! the Road[43] is neither here nor there.»

_Ref._: C. 396, L. 591, B. 584, S.P. 324, P. iii. 6, P. 65.--W. 376, N. 337, V. 638.

XXVI.

Why, all the Saints and Sages who discuss'd
Of the Two Worlds so wisely--they are thrust
Like foolish Prophets forth; their Words to scorn
Are scatter'd, and their Mouths are stopt with dust.

This quatrain is taken from O. 140 and C. 236.

Those, O Saki, who have gone before us,
Have fallen asleep, O Saki, in the dust (or _khwab_ sleep)
of self-esteem,
Go thou and drink wine, and hear the truth from me,
Whatever they have said, O Saki, is but wind!

_Ref._: O. 140, C. 453, L. 687, B. 678, S.P. 380, P. 260, B. ii. 525, T. 279, P. v. 22.--W 428, N. 384, V. 739.

Those who are the cream of the existence of mankind,
Spur the Burak of their thoughts up to the highest heaven,[44]
In the study of your being, like heaven itself
Their heads are turned, and overset, and spinning.

_Ref._: C. 236, L. 326, B. 322, S.P. 120, T. 155, W. 147, N. 120, V. 328.

XXVII.

Myself when young did eagerly frequent
Doctor and Saint, and heard great argument
About it and about: but evermore
Came out by the same door wherein I went.

XXVIII.

With them the seed of Wisdom did I sow,
And with mine own hand wrought to make it grow;
And this was all the Harvest that I reap'd--
«I came like Water, and like Wind I go.»

These two quatrains must be considered together. They are inspired by O. 121, C. 281, and O. 72.

For a while, when young, we frequented a teacher,
For a while we were contented with our proficiency;
Behold the end of the discourse:--what happened to us?
We came like water and we went like wind.

_Ref._: O. 121, L. 544, B. 538, B. ii. 420, P. v. 99.--W 353, V. 584.

Being (once) a falcon, I flew from the World of mystery,
That from below I might soar to the heights above;
But, not finding there any intimate friend,
I came out by the same door wherein I went.[45]

_Ref._: C. 281, L. 429, B. 425, S.P. 224, P. 30, B. ii. 295, T. 184.--W. 264, N. 225, V. 467.

A quatrain that probably contributed to FitzGerald's verse is:

No one has solved the tangled secrets of eternity,
No one has set foot beyond the orbit (of human under-standing),
Since, so far as I can see, from tyro to teacher,
Impotent are the hands of all men born of women.

_Ref._: O. 72, C. 176, L. 357, B. 353, S.P. 175, B. ii. 211, P. v. 210--W. 190, N. 175, V. 356.

XXIX.

Into this Universe, and _Why_ not knowing
Nor _Whence_, like Water willy-nilly flowing;
And out of it, as Wind along the Waste,
I know not _Whither_, Willy-nilly blowing.

The inspiration for this quatrain is to be found in the following: C. 235 and O. 20 (ll. 1 and 2).

He first brought me in confusion into existence,
What do I gain from my life save my amazement at it?
We went away against our will, and we know not what was
The purpose of this coming, and going, and being.

_Ref._: C. 235, L. 324, B. 320, S.P. 117, T. 153.--W. 145, N. 117, V. 326.

Like water in a great river and like wind in the desert,
Another day passes out of the period of my existence.[46]

_Ref._: O. 20, C. 23 and 55, L. 84, B. 80, S.P. 22, P. ii. 2, P. 162, B. ii. 24 and 88, T. 22 and 305, P. v. 140 and 186, W. 26, N. 22 and 42, V. 83.

XXX.

What, without asking, hither hurried _Whence_?
And, without asking, _Whither_ hurried hence!
Oh, many a Cup of this forbidden Wine
Must drown the memory of that insolence!

This quatrain owes its origin to two ruba'iyat in O., viz., 21 and 151.

Seeing that my coming was not in my power at the Day of Creation,[47]
And that my undesired departure hence is a purpose fixed (for me),
Get up and gird well thy loins, O nimble cup-bearer,
For I will wash down the misery of the world in wine.

_Ref._: O. 21, C. 49, L. 94, B. 90, B. ii. 86, P. v. 123.--W. 110, V. 94.

Had I charge of the matter I would not have come,
And, likewise, could I control my going, how should I have gone?
There could have been nothing better than that in this world
I had neither come, nor gone, nor lived?

_Ref._: O. 157, C. 494, L. 732, B. 720, P. 88, B. ii. 590 and 593, P. iv. 17, P. v. 130.--W. 490, E.C. 30, N. 450, V. 785.

XXXI.

Up from Earth's Centre through the Seventh Gate
I rose, and on the Throne of Saturn sate,
And many a Knot unravel'd by the Road;
But not the Master-knot of Human Fate.

This quatrain is translated from C. 314.

From the Nadir of the earthly globe, up to the Zenith of Saturn
I solved all the problems of heaven;
I escaped from the bondage of all trickery and deceit,
All obstacles were removed save only the Bond of Fate.

_Ref._: C. 314, L. 491, B. 487, B. ii. 338, T. 215.--W. 303, V. 531.

XXXII.

There was the Door to which I found no Key;
There was the Veil through which I might not see:
Some little talk awhile of ME and THEE
There was--and then no more of THEE and ME.

The main inspiration of this quatrain is found in C. 387.

Neither thou nor I know the secret of Eternity,
And neither thou nor I can de-cypher this riddle;
There is a talk behind the Curtain[48] of me and thee
But when the Curtain falls neither thou nor I are there.

_Ref._: C. 387, L. 581, B. 574, P. 33, B. ii. 421, T. 260.--W. 389, V. 628.

We also see in the quatrain the influence of O. 29 and C. 193, ll. 1 and 2.

No one can pass behind the Curtain (that veils) the secret,
The mind of no one is cognizant of what is there:[49]

_Ref.:_ O. 29, C. 56, L. 61, B. 58, S.P. 43, P. 63, B. ii. 103, P. v. 188.--W. 47, N. 44, V. 60.

No one can pass behind the Curtain of Fate
No one is master of the Secret of Destiny.

_Ref.:_ C. 193, L. 345, B. 341, S.P. 177, B. ii. 212.--W 192, N. 177, V. 346.

XXXIII.*

Earth could not answer; nor the seas that mourn
In flowing Purple, of their Lord forlorn;
Nor rolling Heaven, with all his Signs reveal'd
And hidden by the sleeve of Night and Morn.

This is the quatrain (not No. 31 as stated by Mr. Aldis Wright in his Editorial Note) taken by Edward FitzGerald from the Mantik ut-tair of Ferid ud din Attar. The story which inspired it begins at distich No. 972, and is as follows:

An observer of spiritual things approached the sea
And said «O sea, why are you blue?
Why do you wear the robe of mourning?
There is no fire, why do you boil?»
The sea made answer to that good-hearted one,
«I weep for my separation from the Friend,
Since by reason of my impotence I am not worthy of Him,
I have made my robe blue on account of my sorrow for Him.»

XXXIV.

Then of the THEE in ME who works behind
The Veil, I lifted up my hands to find
A lamp amid the Darkness; and I heard,
As from Without--«THE ME WITHIN THEE BLIND!»

That Edward FitzGerald was not following any particular ruba'iyat of the original MSS. is clearly indicated by the great variation observable in the forms that this quatrain successively assumed in the first, second and third editions. It suggests an exposition of the Sufi doctrine of the emanation of the mortal Creature from God the Creator, and his reabsorption into God. There is a quatrain in L. (No. 641) and in B. ii. (No. 457) which is akin to it, but FitzGerald was not acquainted with these texts. (It is No. 400 in W.) I have no doubt that FitzGerald's 34th quatrain was suggested to him by two intricate passages in the Mantik ut-tair, commencing respectively at distich 3090 and distich 3735. The first of these may be translated:

«The Creator of the World spoke thus to David from behind the Curtain of the Secret: 'For everything in the world, good or bad, visible or invisible, thou canst find a substitute, but for Me, thou canst find neither substitute nor equal. Since nothing can be substituted for Me, do not cease to abide in Me. I am thy Soul, destroy not thou thy Soul, I am necessary to thee, O thou my servant. Seek not to exist apart from Me.'»

The second passage reads: «Since long ago, really, I am thee, and thou art Me, we two are but One. Art thou Me, or am I thee? is there any duality in the matter? Either I am thee, or thou art Me, or thou, thou art thyself. Since thou art Me and I am thee for ever, our two bodies are One: Salutation!»

XXXV.

Then to the Lip of this poor earthen Urn
I lean'd, the Secret of my Life to learn;
And Lip to Lip it murmur'd--«While you live,
«Drink!--for, once dead, you never shall return.»

This quatrain is translated from O. 100:

In great desire I pressed my lips to the lip of the jar,
To enquire from it how long life might be attained;
It joined its lip to mine and whispered,
«Drink wine! for to this world thou returnest not.»

_Ref._: O. 100, C. 283, L. 446, B. 442, P. 99, B. ii. 303, T. 185, P. v. 193.--W. 274, E.C. 25, V. 482.

C. 489 is a mystic and doctrinal quatrain containing the same injunction.

Drink wine! for I have told you a thousand times
There is no returning for you; when you are gone, you are _gone_!

_Ref._: C. 489, L. 723, B. 712, S.P. 385, B. ii. 526, P. iv. 67, P. v. 104--W. 431, N. 389, V. 775.

XXXVI.

I think the Vessel, that with fugitive
Articulation answer'd, once did live,
And drink; and Ah! the passive Lip I kiss'd,
How many Kisses might it take--and give!

The inspiration for this quatrain occurs in O. 9.

This jug was once a plaintive lover, as I am,
And was in pursuit of one of comely face;[50]
This handle that thou seest upon its neck
Is an arm that once lay around the neck of a friend.

_Ref._: O. 9, C. 48 and 426, L. 81, B. 77, S.P. 28, P. 108, B. ii. 28, P. v. 142.--W. 32, N. 28, E.C. 5, V. 80.

XXXVII.

For I remember stopping by the way
To watch a Potter thumping his wet Clay;
And with its all-obliterated Tongue
It murmur'd--«Gently, Brother, gently, pray!»

The original of this quatrain is O. 89.

I saw a potter in the bazaar yesterday,
He was violently pounding some fresh clay,
And that clay said to him in mystic language,
«I was once like thee--so treat me well.»

_Ref._: O. 89, C. 261, L. 411, B. 407, S.P. 210, P. 100, B. ii. 274, P. iv. 71, P. v. 198.--W. 252, N. 211, V. 434.

XXXVIII.*

And has not such a Story from of Old
Down Man's successive generations roll'd
Of such a clod of saturated Earth
Cast by the maker into Human mould?

This quatrain, which is in the nature of a reflection upon the three preceding ones, conveys an idea which is constantly recurrent in the ruba'iyat. Edward FitzGerald himself records, in a note, that, in composing this quatrain, he had in mind a very beautiful story in the Mantik ut-tair of the water of a certain well which, ordinarily sweet, became bitter when drawn in a vessel made from clay which once had been a man. For its inclusion in this poem FitzGerald had the support of two (among many) quatrains from C. 475 and 488.

I pondered over the workshop of a potter;
In the shadow of the wheel I saw that the master, with his feet,
Made handles and covers for goblets and jars,
Out of the skulls of kings and the feet of beggars.

_Ref._: C. 475, L. 698, B. 689, S.P. 426, P. 103, B. ii. 576.--W. 466, N. 431, V. 750.

I made my way into the (abode of the) potters of the age,
Every moment shewed some new skill with clay;
I saw, though men devoid of vision saw it not,
My ancestors' dust on the hands of every potter.

_Ref._: C. 488, L. 721, B. 710, P. 101, B. ii. 543.--W 493, V. 773.

XXXIX.*

And not a drop that from our Cups we throw
For Earth to Drink of, but may steal below
To quench the fire of Anguish in some Eye
There hidden--far beneath and long ago.

This quatrain is taken from ll. 1 and 2 of O. 81

Every draught that the Cup-bearer scatters upon the earth
Quenches the fire of anguish in some burning eye.

_Ref._: O. 81, C. 180, L. 367, B. 363, S.P. 188, P. 231, B. ii. 241, P. v. 187.--W. 203, N. 188, V. 366.

XL.*

As then the Tulip for her morning sup
Of Heav'nly Vintage from the soil looks up,
Do you devoutly do the like, till Heav'n
To Earth invert you--like an empty Cup.

The original of this quatrain is C. 37.

Like a tulip in the spring uplift your cup;
If you get a (happy) opportunity with a moon-faced one,
Drink wine with cheerfulness, for this worn-out sky
Will suddenly invert you to the level of the earth.

_Ref._: C. 37, L. 136, B. 133, S.P. 39, B. ii. 84, T. 40 and 311.--W 44, N. 40, V. 135.

XLI.*

Perplext no more with Human or Divine,
To-morrow's tangle to the winds resign,
And lose your fingers in the tresses of
The Cypress-slender Minister of Wine.

The sentiment of this quatrain is very recurrent. I think that FitzGerald's first inspiration comes from O. 73.

Set limits to thy desire for worldly things and live content,
Sever the bonds of thy dependence upon the good and bad of life,
Take wine in hand and (play with) the curls of a loved one; for quickly
All passeth away--and these few days will not remain.

_Ref._: O. 73, C. 179, L. 256, B. 253, S.P. 176.--W. 191, N. 176, V. 262.

Ll. 3 and 4 of O. 118 suggest the quatrain also.

Let us cease to strive after our long delaying hope[51]
And play with long ringlets and the handle of the lute.

_Ref._: O. 118, L. 571, B. 564, S.P. 293, B. ii. 391.--W. 332, N. 294, V. 611.

Ll. 1 and 2 of O. 131 are also in point:

Flee from the study of all sciences--'tis better thus,
And twine thy fingers in the curly locks of a loved one--'tis
better thus.

_Ref._: O. 131, C. 443, L. 670, B. 662, S.P. 356, P. 296, B. ii. 480, T. 276, P. v. 158.--W. 426, N. 359, V. 719.

FitzGerald was probably «reminded of» these by Nicolas whose quatrains 48, 155, and 359 (C. 443) convey the same idea.

XLII.

And if the Wine you drink, the Lip you press,
End in what All begins and ends in--Yes;
Think then you are TO-DAY what YESTERDAY
You were--TO-MORROW you shall not be less.

The inspiration for this quatrain is contained in the following, O. 102 and C. 412.

Khayyam, if thou art drunk with wine,[52] be happy,
If thou reposest with one tulip-cheeked, be happy,
Since the end of all things is that thou wilt be naught,
Whilst thou art, imagine that thou art not--be happy!

_Ref._: O. 102, C. 291, L. 454, B. 450, S.P. 241, P. 202, B. ii. 322, T. 192 and 296, P. iv. 26, P. v. 5.--W. 282, N. 242, V. 493.

Remember not the day that has passed away from thee,
Be not hard upon the morrow that has not come,
Think not about thine own coming or departure,
Drink wine _now_, and fling not thy life to the winds.

_Ref._: C. 412, L. 619, B. 611, P. 116, B. ii. 444, P. v. 121.--V. 666.

XLIII.

So when that Angel of the darker Drink
At last shall find you by the river-brink,
And, offering his Cup, invite your Soul
Forth to your Lips to quaff--you shall not shrink.

This quatrain owes its origin to C. 256.[53]

In the circle of the firmament, whose depths are invisible,
There is a cup which, in due time, they will cause all to drink;
When thy turn comes, do not utter lamentations,
Drink wine gaily for it has come to be thy turn.

_Ref._: C. 256, L. 408, B. 404, B. ii. 273.--W. 254, V. 431.

XLIV.

Why, if the Soul can fling the Dust aside,
And naked on the Air of Heaven ride,
Were't not a Shame--were't not a Shame for him
In this clay carcase crippled to abide?

This quatrain is translated from O. 145.

Oh Soul! if thou canst purify thyself from the dust of the body,
Thou, naked spirit, canst soar in the heavens,
The Empyrean is thy sphere--let it be thy shame,
That thou comest and art a dweller within the confines of earth.[54]

_Ref._: O. 145, C. 447, L. 707, B. 697, S.P. 389, P. 111, B. ii. 523.--W. 436, N. 394, E.C. 7, V. 759.

XLV.

'Tis but a Tent where takes his one day's rest
A Sultan to the realm of Death addrest;
The Sultan rises, and the dark Ferrash
Strikes, and prepares it for another Guest.

This quatrain is translated from C. no. 110.

Khayyam! thy body surely resembles a tent;
The soul is a Sultan and the halting-place is the perishable world,
The ferrash of fate, preparing for the next halting-place,
Will overthrow this tent when the Sultan has arisen.[55]

_Ref._: C. 110, L. 100, B. 96, S.P. 80, B. ii. 95, T. 86, P. v. 172.--W. 82, N. 80, V. 100.

XLVI.*

And fear not lest Existence closing your
Account, and mine, should know the like no more;
The Eternal Saki from that Bowl has pour'd
Millions of Bubbles like us, and will pour.

FitzGerald was indebted for this quatrain to N. 137. The original ruba'i is not in O. or C.

Khayyam! although the pavilion of heaven
Has spread its tent and closed the door upon all discussion,
In the goblet of existence, like bubbles of wine
The Eternal Saki brings to light a thousand Khayyams.

_Ref._: N. 137,[56] W. 161, V. 397.

XLVII.*

When You and I behind the Veil are past,
Oh, but the long, long while the World shall last,
Which of our Coming and Departure heeds
As the Sea's self should heed a pebble-cast.

In this quatrain FitzGerald is «reminded of» O. 26 and 51 by N. 123.

Know this--that from thy soul thou shalt be separated,
Thou shalt pass behind the Curtain of the Secrets of God.

_Ref._: O. 26, C. 83, L. 192, B. 189, S.P. 85, B. ii. 110, T. 64, P. v. J 34.--W. 87, N. 85, V. 188.

My coming was of no profit to the heavenly sphere,[57]
And by my departure nothing will be added to its beauty and dignity.

_Ref._: O. 51, C. 129, L. 232, B. 229, S.P. 157, P. 55, B. ii. 158, T. 104.--W. 176, N. 157, E.C. 17, V. 239.

Oh! how long we shall be no more, and the world will continue to exist,
It will continue to exist without fame or sign of us,
Long ago we existed not, and (the world) was none the worse for it,
Afterwards, when we have ceased to exist, it will be all the same.

_Ref._: N. 123, W. 150, V. 395.

XLVIII.

A Moment's Halt--a momentary taste
Of BEING from the Well amidst the waste--
And Lo!--the phantom Caravan has reach'd
The NOTHING it set out from--Oh, make haste!

We must consider here the form in which this quatrain first made its appearance in the edition of 1859:

One Moment in Annihilation's Waste,
One Moment, of the Well of Life to taste--
The stars are setting, and the Caravan
Starts for the Dawn of Nothing--Oh, make haste!

The inspiration for this richly varied quatrain comes from O. 60.

This caravan of life passes by mysteriously;
Mayest thou seize the moment that passes happily!
Cup-bearer, why grieve about the to-morrow of thy patrons?[58]
Give us a cup of wine, for the night wanes.

_Ref._: O. 60, C. 135, L. 245, B. 242, P. 223, S.P. 106, B. ii. 146, T. 139.--W. 136, N. 106, V. 251.

Ll. 3 and 4 of C. 368 may also be quoted:

(Man is) a toil-stricken being, fashioned in the clay of affliction,
He tasted of Earth for a time and passed away.

_Ref._: C. 368, L. 566, B. 559, S.P. 301, B. ii. 404, T. 242.--W. 338, N. 302, V. 606.

XLIX.*

Would you that spangle of Existence spend
About THE SECRET--quick about it, Friend!
A Hair perhaps divides the False and True--
And upon what, prithee, may life depend?

L.*

A Hair perhaps divides the False and True;
Yes; and a single Alif were the clue--
Could you but find it--to the Treasure-house,
And peradventure to THE MASTER too;

This pair of quatrains must also be considered together. The idea contained in them is, I think, collected from C. 482 and 19, and from O. 28.

Oh Boy! since thou art learned in all secrets,
Why grieve so much after vain cares?
If things will not shape themselves according to thy desire,
At any rate be happy in this moment of thy existence.

_Ref._: C. 482, L. 714, B. 703, S.P. 414, B. ii. 560.--W. 458, N. 419, V. 766.

From the state of infidelity to that of faith is but a breath,
And from a state of doubt to that of certainty is but a breath,
Hold thou dear this one precious moment,
For of the outcome of our being there is but a moment.

_Ref._: C. 19, L. 131, B. 127, S.P. 20, B. ii. 22, T. 20.--W. 24, N. 20, V. 130.

My Heart said to me: «I have a longing for inspired knowledge,
Teach me if thou art able,»
I said the Alif. My Heart said: «Say no more.
If One is in the house, one letter is enough.»[59]

_Ref._: O. 28.--W. 109.

LI.*

Whose secret Presence, through Creation's veins
Running Quicksilver-like eludes your pains;
Taking all shapes from Mah to Mahi; and
They change and perish all--but He remains;

In this quatrain FitzGerald has made a masterly conversion of C. 72.

That Moon which is by nature skilled in metamorphosis
Is sometimes animal and sometimes vegetable,
Do not imagine that it will become non-existent--away with thought!
It is always possessed of its essence though its qualities
cease to be.[60]

_Ref._: C. 72, L. 179, B. 176, S.P. 73, B. ii. 31, T. 51.--W. 75, N. 73, V. 175.

C. 40 may also be cited.

Place wine in my hand for my heart is aglow,
And this fleet-footed existence is like quicksilver.
Arise! for the wakefulness of good fortune turns to slumber;
Know thou that the fire of youth is (fugitive) like water.

_Ref._: C. 40, L. 63, B. 60, S.P. 54, T. 45.--W. 57, N. 54, V. 62.

«From Mah to Mahi»--_i.e._, from Moon to Fish is a common Oriental metaphor for universality. See FitzGerald's note on this subject, and the Terminal Essay to my former volume, p. 309.

LII.*

A moment guess'd--then back behind the Fold
Immerst of Darkness round the Drama roll'd
Which, for the Pastime of Eternity,
He doth Himself contrive, enact, behold.

This quatrain is translated from C. 479.

Hidden sometimes thou shewest thy face to none,
Sometimes thou appearest in the forms of created beings,
Thou exhibitest this spectacle to thyself.
Thou art thyself both the real thing seen and the spectator.

_Ref._: C. 479, L. 705, B. 695, S.P. 437.--W. 475, N. 443, V. 757.

LIII.*

But if in vain, down on the stubborn floor
Of Earth, and up to Heav'n's unopening Door,
You gaze TO-DAY, while You are You--how then
TO-MORROW, when You shall be You no more?

The original of this quatrain is C. 24.

If the heart understood the secret of existence as it _is_,
In death it would know all the secrets of God:
If to-day thou knowest nothing, being _with_ thyself,
What wilt thou know to-morrow when thou abandonest thyself?

_Ref._: C. 24, L. 78, B. 74, S.P. 49, P. 85, B. ii. 106, T. 25.--W. 52, N. 49. V. 77.

LIV.

Waste not your Hour, nor in the vain pursuit
Of this and That endeavour and dispute;
Better be jocund with the fruitful Grape
Than sadden after none, or Bitter, Fruit.

The inspiration for this quatrain comes from O. 50 and O. 107:

Those who are the slaves of intellect and hair-splitting,[61]
Have perished in bickerings about existence and non-existence;
Go, thou dunce! and choose (rather) grape juice,
For the ignorant from (eating) dry raisins, have become (like)
unripe grapes (themselves).[62]

_Ref._: O. 50, L. 262, T. 102, P. v. 164.--W. 216, V. 267.

How long this talk about the eternity to come, and the
eternity past?[63]
Now is the time of joy, there is no substitute for wine!
Both theory and practice have passed beyond my ken,
(But) Wine unties the knot of every difficulty.

_Ref._: O. 107, C. 312, L. 489, B. 485, B. ii. 341, T. 213, P. v. 207.--W. 304, V. 259.

LV.

You know, my friends, with what a brave Carouse
I made a Second Marriage in my house;
Divorced old barren Reason from my Bed,
And took the Daughter of the Vine to Spouse.

This quatrain is translated from C. 175.

I will fill a one-maund goblet with wine,
I will enrich myself with two half-maunds of wine:
First I will thrice pronounce the divorce from learning and faith,[64]
And then I will take the daughter of the vine[65] to spouse.

_Ref._: C. 175, L. 267, B. 263, P. 288, P. v. 209.--V. 271.

LVI.

For «IS» and «IS-NOT» though with Rule and Line
And «UP-AND-DOWN» by Logic I define,
Of all that one should care to fathom, I
Was never deep in anything but--Wine.

This quatrain is translated from O. 120:

I know the outwardness of existence and non-existence,[66]
I know the inwardness of all that is high and low;
Nevertheless let me be ashamed of[67] my own knowledge
If I recognise any degree higher than drunkenness.

_Ref._: O. 120, L. 523, B. 518, S.P. 299, P. 265, B. ii. 409, P. v. 38.--W. 336, N. 300, V. 563.

LVII.*

Ah, but my Computations, People say,
Reduced the Year to better reckoning?--Nay,
'Twas only striking from the Calendar
Unborn To-morrow and dead Yesterday.

This quatrain owes its inspiration to C. 381 and O. 20, ll. 3 and 4:

My enemies erroneously have called me a philosopher,[68]
God knows I am not what they have called me;
But, as I have come into this nesting place of sorrow,
In the end I am in a still worse plight, for I know not who I am.

_Ref._: C. 381, L. 580, B. 573, B. ii. 383, T. 259.--W. 350, V. 619.

Never has grief lingered in my mind concerning two days,[69]
The day that has not yet come, and the day that is past.

_Ref._: O. 20, C. 23 and 55, L. 84, S.P. 22, B. 80, P. 162, B. ii. 24 and 88, P. ii. 2, T. 22 and 305, P. v. 140 and 186.--W. 26, N. 22 and 42, V. 83.

LVIII.

And lately, by the Tavern Door agape,
Came shining through the Dusk an Angel Shape
Bearing a vessel on his Shoulder; and
He bid me taste of it; and 'twas--the Grape!

This quatrain is a refined version of C. 297.

Yesterday, whilst drunk, I was passing a tavern,
I saw a drunken old man bearing a vessel on his shoulder.
I said, «Old man, does not God make thee ashamed?»
He replied, «God is merciful, go, drink wine!»

_Ref._: C. 297, L. 462, B. 458, S.P. 243, P. 278, T. 197.--W. 284, N. 244, V. 501.

LIX.

The Grape that can with Logic absolute
The Two-and-Seventy jarring Sects confute;
The sovereign Alchemist that in a trice
Life's leaden metal into Gold transmute;

This quatrain is translated from O. 77.

Drink wine, that will banish thine abundant woes.
And will banish thought of the Seventy-two Sects;
Avoid not the Alchemist,[70] from whom
Thou takest one draught, and he banishes a thousand calamities.

_Ref._: O. 77, C. 165, L. 305, B. 301, S.P. 179, P. 283, T. 112, P. v. 152.--W. 194, V. 308.

LX.

The mighty Mahmud, Allah-breathing Lord,
That all the misbelieving and black Horde
Of Fears and Sorrows that infest the Soul
Scatters before him with his whirlwind Sword.

This reference to Mahmoud the Ghasnavide, who made war upon the black infidels of Hindostan, comes from an apologue in the Mantik ut-tair of Ferid ud din Attar, (beginning at distich 3117). The last two lines come from O. 81, ll. 3 and 4.

Praise be to God! thou realizest that wine
Is a juice that frees thy heart from a hundred pains.

_Ref._: O. 81, C. 180, L. 367, B. 363, S.P. 188, P. 231, B. ii. 241, P. v. 187.--W. 203, N. 188, V. 366.

LXI.*

Why, be this Juice the growth of God, who dare
Blaspheme the twisted tendril as a Snare?
A Blessing, we should use it, should we not?
And if a Curse--Why, then, Who set it there?

The inspiration for this quatrain is contained in O. 75.

I drink wine, and everyone drinks who, like me, is worthy of it;
My wine-drinking is but a small thing to Him;
God knew on the Day of Creation, that I should drink wine;
If I do not drink wine God's knowledge would be ignorance.

_Ref._: O. 75, C. 202, L. 356, B. 352, S.P. 182, P. 324, B. ii. 234, T. 129, P. v. 181.--W. 197, N. 182, V. 355.

LXII.*

I must abjure the Balm of Life, I must,
Scared by some After-reckoning ta'en on trust,
Or lured with Hope of some Diviner Drink,
To fill the Cup--when crumbled into Dust!

This quatrain is taken from C. 505 and O. 143, ll. 3 and 4.

They say, «Do not drink wine for thou wilt suffer for it,
On the Day of Rewards thou wilt be cast into the fire.»
That is so; but what is worth both the worlds
Is the moment when thou art elated with wine.

_Ref._: C. 505, L. 748, B. 734, P. 250, B. ii. 587.--V. 800.

Make thyself a heaven here with wine and cup,
For at that place where heaven is, thou mayst arrive, or mayst not.

_Ref._: O. 143, C. 495. L. 733, B. 721, S.P. 379, P. 209, B. ii. 529, P. v. 129.--W. 427, N. 383, V. 786.

LXIII.

Oh threats of Hell and Hopes of Paradise!
One thing at least is certain--_This_ Life flies;
One thing is certain and the rest is Lies;
The Flower that once has blown for ever dies.

The inspiration for this quatrain comes from O. 35 of which ll. 1 and 2 are quoted as parallel to quatrain No. 24 _ante_.

Take care that thou tellest not this hidden secret to anyone
The tulips that are withered will never bloom again.

_Ref._: O. 35, C. 80, L. 188, B. 185, P. 284, T. 60.--W. 107, V. 184.

LXIV.*

Strange, is it not? that of the myriads who
Before us pass'd the door of Darkness through,
Not one returns to tell us of the Road,
Which to discover we must travel too.

This is a constantly recurring image in the ruba'iyat. C. 36 and 270 may be cited:

I have travelled far in a wandering by valley and desert,
It came to pass I wandered in all quarters of the world,
I have not heard from anyone who came from that road,
The road he has travelled, no traveller travels again.

_Ref._: C. 36, L. 57, B. 54. T. 39.--W. 129, V. 56.

Of all the travellers upon this long road,
Where is he that has returned, that he may tell us the secret?
Take heed that in this mansion (by way of metaphor)
Thou leavest nothing, for thou wilt not come back.

_Ref._: C. 270, L. 424, B. 420, S.P. 216, P. 121, B. ii. 286, P. v. 9.--W. 258, N. 217, V. 462.

C. 211 and 277 contain the same image.

LXV.*

The Revelations of Devout and Learn'd
Who rose before us, and as Prophets burn'd,
Are all but Stories, which, awoke from Sleep,
They told their comrades, and to Sleep return'd.

This quatrain is translated from C. 127.

Those who have become oceans of excellence and cultivation,
And from the collection of their perfections have become
lights of their fellows,
Have not made a road out of this dark night,
They have told a fable and have gone to sleep.

_Ref._: C. 127, L. 261, B. 258, P. 86, T. 101.--W. 209, N. 464, V. 266.

LXVI.*

I sent my Soul through the Invisible,
Some letter of that After-life to spell:
And by and by my Soul return'd to me,
And answer'd, «I myself am Heav'n and Hell»:

This quatrain is inspired by O. 15.

Already on the Day of Creation, beyond the heavens, my soul
Searched for the Tablet and Pen, and for heaven and hell,
At last the Teacher said to me with His enlightened judgment,
«Tablet and Pen, and heaven and hell, are within thyself.»[71]

_Ref._: O. 15, L. 59, B. 56, P. 114, B. ii. 69, P. v. 79--W. 114, V. 58.

LXVII.*

Heav'n but the Vision of fulfill'd Desire,
And Hell the Shadow from a Soul on fire,
Cast on the Darkness into which Ourselves,
So late emerged from, shall so soon expire.

The inspiration for this verse comes from O. 33.

The heavenly vault is a girdle (cast) from my weary body.
Jihun[72] is a water-course worn by my filtered tears,
Hell is a spark from my useless worries,
Paradise is a moment of time when I am tranquil.

_Ref._: O. 33, C. 90, L. 199, B. 196, S.P. 90, P. 148, T. 70, P. v. 183.--W. 92, N. 90, V. 195.

FitzGerald's verse was evidently also influenced by distich 1866 of the Mantik ut-tair.

Heaven and hell are reflections, the one of thy goodness, and
the other of thy wrath.

LXVIII.

We are no other than a moving row
Of Magic Shadow-shapes that come and go
Round with the Sun-illumined Lantern held
In Midnight by the Master of the Show;

This quatrain is translated from O. 108.

This vault of heaven beneath which we stand bewildered,
We know to be a sort of magic-lantern:[73]
Know thou that the sun is the flame and the universe is the lamp,
We are like figures that revolve in it.

_Ref._: O. 108, C. 332, L. 505, B. 501, S.P. 266, P. 40, B. ii. 356, P. iv. 34.--W. 310, N. 267, E.C. 28, de T. 10, V. 545.

LXIX.

But helpless Pieces of the Game He plays
Upon this Chequer-board of Nights and Days;
Hither and thither moves, and checks, and slays,
And one by one back in the Closet lays.

This quatrain is translated from O. 94.

To speak plain language, and not in parables,
We are the pieces and heaven plays the game,
We are played together in a baby-game upon the chess-board
of existence,
And one by one we return to the box of non-existence.

_Ref._: O. 94, C. 280, L. 443, B. 439, S.P. 230, P. 31, B. ii. 291, T. 183, P. v. 10.--W. 270, N. 231, E.C. 27, V. 480.

LXX.

The Ball no question makes of Ayes and Noes
But Here or There as strikes the Player goes;
And He that toss'd you down into the Field,
_He_ knows about it all--HE knows--HE knows!

This quatrain is translated from C. 422.

O thou who art driven like a ball by the mallet of Fate,
Go to the right or take the left, but say nothing;[74]
For He who set thee running and galloping
He knows, he knows, he knows, he----.

_Ref._: C. 422, L. 633, B. 625, P. 167, B. ii. 462, T. 274.--W. 401, V. 682.

LXXI.

The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ,
Moves on: nor all your Piety nor Wit
Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line,
Nor all your Tears wash out a Word of it.

The origin of this quatrain is to be found in O. 31

From the beginning[75] was written what shall be;
Unhaltingly the Pen (writes) and is heedless of good and bad;
On the First Day He appointed everything that must be--
Our grief and our efforts are vain.

_Ref._: O. 31, C. 87, L. 195, B. 192, S.P. 31, B. ii. 60, T. 67, P. v. 211.--W. 35, N. 31, V. 191.

LXXII.

And that inverted Bowl they call the Sky,
Whereunder crawling coop'd we live and die,
Lift not your hands to _It_ for help--for It
As Impotently moves as you or I.

The inspiration for this quatrain comes from O. 134, ll. 1 and 2, and O. 41.

This heavenly vault is like a bowl fallen upside down,
Under which all the wise have fallen helpless.

_Ref._: O. 134, C. 435, L. 657, B. 649, S.P. 360, P. 34, B. ii. 481, P. v. 154.--W. 408, N. 363, V. 706.

The good and the bad that are in man's nature,
The happiness and misery that are predestined for us,
Do not impute them to the heavens, for, in the way of Wisdom,
Those heavens are a thousandfold more helpless than thou art.

_Ref._: O. 41, C. 62, L. 80, B. 76, S.P. 95, P. 45.--W. 96, N. 95, V. 79.

LXXIII.

With Earth's first Clay They did the Last Man knead,
And there of the Last Harvest sow'd the Seed:
And the first Morning of Creation wrote
What the Last Dawn of Reckoning shall read.

In this quatrain we trace the influence of O. 31 (quoted in the parallel to quatrain No. 71, _ante_) and of O. 95.

Oh, heart! since, in this world, truth itself is hyperbole,
Why art thou so disquieted with this trouble and abasement?
Resign thy body to destiny and adapt thyself to the times,
For, what the Pen has written, it will not re-write for thy sake.[76]

_Ref._: O. 95, L. 430, B. 426, S.P. 215, P. 59, B. ii. 292.--W. 257, N. 216, E.C. 15, V. 468.

LXXIV.*

YESTERDAY _This_ Day's Madness did prepare;
TO-MORROW'S Silence, Triumph, or Despair:
Drink! for you know not whence you came, nor why
Drink! for you know not why you go, nor where.

The first half of this quatrain comes from O. 152 and the second half from O. 26, ll. 3 and 4.

Be happy! they settled thy business yesterday,
And beyond the reach of all thy longings is yesterday,

Live happily, for without any importunity on thy part yesterday,
They appointed with certainty what thou wilt do to-morrow--yesterday!

_Ref._: O. 152, C. 473, L. 702, B. ii. 564, P. v. 196.--W. 489, V. 754.

Be happy!--thou knowest not whence thou hast come:
Drink wine!--thou knowest not whither thou shalt go.

_Ref._: O. 26, C. 83, L. 192, B. 189, S.P. 85, B. ii. 110, T. 64, P. v. 34.--W 87, N. 85, V. 188.

LXXV.

I tell you this--When, started from the Goal,
Over the flaming shoulders of the Foal
Of Heav'n, Parwin and Mushtari they flung,
In my predestined Plot of Dust and Soul.

This quatrain is translated from C. 147.

On that day when they saddled the wild horses of the Sun,
And settled the laws of Parwin and Mushtari,[77]
This was the lot decreed for me from the Diwan of Fate:
How can I sin? (my sins) are what Fate allotted me as my portion.

_Ref._: C. 147, L. 286, B. 282, S.P. 110.--W. 140, N. 110, V. 289.

LXXVI.

The Vine had struck a fibre; which about
If clings my Being--let the Dervish flout;
Of my Base metal may be filed a Key,
That shall unlock the Door he howls without.

The sentiment of this quatrain is contained in C. 143.

Since Eternity itself was He created me,
From the first he dictated to me the lesson of love,
At that time a small filing of the dust of my heart,
He made into a key of the treasure-house of substance.[78]

_Ref._: C. 143, L. 311, B. 307, P. 81, T. 134.--V. 314.

LXXVII.

And this I know; whether the one True Light
Kindle to Love, or Wrath-consume me quite,
One Flash of It within the Tavern caught
Better than in the Temple lost outright.

This quatrain is translated from O. 2.

If I talk of the mystery with Thee in a tavern,
It is better than if I make my devotions before the Mihrab[79]
without Thee.
O Thou, the first and last of all created beings,
Burn me an Thou wilt, cherish me an Thou wilt.

_Ref._: O. 2, C. 272, L. 427, B. 423, S.P. 221, P. 7, B. ii. 294, T. 172.--W. 262, N. 222, V. 465.

LXXVIII.*

What! out of senseless Nothing to provoke
A conscious Something to resent the yoke
Of unpermitted Pleasure, under pain
Of everlasting Penalties, if broke!

It is not easy to deal with this and the three following quatrains separately, the sentiments of all four being closely interchangeable and largely identical. To avoid confusion, however, I have attempted the task. There are some scores of ruba'iyat that may be said to have contributed their imageries to the quatrain. The main sources of the first of them seem to be C. 85 and N. 226:

God, when he fashioned the clay of my body,
Knew by my making what would come of it;
(Since) there is no sin of mine without his order
Why should he seek to burn me at the Day of Resurrection?

_Ref._: C. 85, L. 194, B. 191, S.P. 99, P. 18, T. 66.--W. 100, N. 99, V. 190.

Thou knowest that abstinence from that (sin) is impossible,
Having (nevertheless) ordered and ordained abstinence from it;
Thus between the order and the prohibition we stand helpless,
We mortals are helpless at the permission to slant
(the cup) but not to spill (its contents).[80]

_Ref._: N. 226, L. 442, B. 438, S.P. 225, P. 317, B. ii. 297, T. 180.--W. 265, V. 479.

LXXIX.*

What! from his helpless Creature be repaid
Pure Gold for what he lent him dross-allay'd--
Sue for a Debt he never did contract,
And cannot answer--Oh the sorry trade!

This quatrain would seem to be specially inspired by C. 201 and 433, which are so much alike (ll. 2, 3, and 4 are practically identical in both) that one or the other is obviously the addition of a later scribe.

When they mixed the earth of my shaping-mould,
They produced an hundred wonders from me;[81]
I cannot be better than I am,
For this is how I was turned out of the crucible.

_Ref._: C. 201, L. 355, B. 351, T. 128.--W. 221, V. 354.

LXXX.

Oh Thou, who didst with pitfall and with gin
Beset the Road I was to wander in,
Thou wilt not with Predestined Evil round
Enmesh, and then impute my Fall to Sin!

This quatrain is translated from O. 148.

In a thousand places on the road I walk, Thou placest snares,
Thou say'st «I will catch thee if thou settest foot in them,»
In no smallest thing is the world independent of Thee,
Thou orderest all things, and (yet) callest me rebellious!

_Ref._: O. 148, B. ii. 546.--W. 432, N. 390.

LXXXI.

Oh Thou, who Man of baser Earth didst make,
And ev'n with Paradise devise the Snake:
For all the Sin wherewith the Face of Man
Is blacken'd--Man's forgiveness give--and take!

* * * * *

This is a very composite quatrain, round which some controversy has raged. Professor Cowell has given the weight of his authority to the statement that «there is no original for the line about the snake.» This is true in so far as that the image does not occur in Omar, but FitzGerald had seen it in an important apologue in the Mantik ut-tair (beginning at distich 3229) in which we read of the presence of the Snake (Iblis) in Paradise, at the moment of the creation of Adam, and in the course of which, Satan himself addresses God thus:

If malediction comes from Thee, there comes also mercy,
The created thing is dependent upon Thee since Destiny is in Thy hands;
If malediction be my lot, I do not fear,
There must be poison, everything is not antidote.

The influence of the following is traceable in the quatrains, C. 115, C. 286, and C. 510:

I am a disobedient slave, where is Thy mercy?
My heart is dark, where is Thy light and clearness?
If, for serving Thee, Thou givest me heaven,
This a reward, but Thy grace and Thy gifts--where are they?

_Ref._: C. 115, L. 217, B. 214, S.P. 91, P. 23.--W. 93, N. 91, V. 211.

Oh! Thou who knowest the secrets of the hearts of all,
Protector of all in their hours of helplessness:
Oh, Lord! grant me repentance and accept my excuses,
Oh! Thou who grantest repentance and acceptest the excuses of all.

_Ref._: C. 286, L. 449, B. 445, S.P. 235, B. ii. 308, T. 188.--W. 276, N. 236, V. 488.

Professor Cowell attributes FitzGerald's quatrain to the above ruba'i. _Vide_ the Editorial Note previously referred to.

The manager of the affairs of the dead and living art thou,
Thou art the keeper of this unstable heaven;
Though I am wicked, thou art my Master,
Who can sin, seeing that thou art the Creator (of all)?

_Ref._: C. 510, L. 700, B. 691, S.P. 431, P. 2, B. ii. 584.--W. 471, N. 436, V. 753.

LXXXII.[82]

As under cover of departing Day
Slunk hunger-stricken Ramazan away,
Once more within the Potter's house alone
I stood, surrounded by the Shapes of Clay.

LXXXIII.*

Shapes of all Sorts and Sizes, great and small,
That stood along the floor and by the wall;
And some loquacious Vessels were; and some
Listen'd, perhaps, but never talk'd at all.

LXXXVII (_post_).

FitzGerald constructed these three quatrains from O. 103.

I went last night into the workshop of a potter,
I saw two thousand pots, some speaking, and some silent;
Suddenly one of the pots cried out aggressively:--
«Where are the pot-maker, and the pot-buyer, and the pot-seller?»

_Ref._: O. 103, C. 301, L. 470, B. 466, S.P. 242, P. 102, B. ii. 323, T. 202 and 297, P. v. 37.--W. 283, N. 243, E.C. 26, V. 509.

It will be observed that the reading of quatrain 87, l. 4, in the third edition of FitzGerald is close to this original. «Who makes--Who buys--Who sells--Who is the Pot?»

«Hunger stricken Ramazan» is described in C. 198.

They say that the moon of Ramazan[83] shines out again
Henceforth one cannot linger over the wine;
At the end of Sha'ban I will drink so much wine
That during Ramazan I may be found drunk until the festival (arrives).

_Ref._: C. 198, L. 352, B. 348, S.P. 172, P. 347, B. ii. 216, T. 125.--W. 188, N. 172, V. 351. See also the quatrain from the «Notes,» p. 155.

LXXXIV.

Said one among them--«Surely not in vain
My substance of the common Earth was ta'en
And to this Figure moulded, to be broke,
Or trampled back to shapeless Earth again.»

The sentiment of this quatrain is traceable in C. 293.

There is a cup which wisdom loud acclaims,
And for its beauty gives it a hundred kisses on the brow,
Such a sweet cup, this Potter of the World
Makes, and then shatters it upon the ground.

_Ref._: C. 293, L. 456, B. 452, B. ii. 321, T. 194.--W. 290, V. 495.

LXXXV.

Then said a Second--«Ne'er a peevish Boy
Would break the Bowl from which he drank in joy;
And he that with his hand the Vessel made
Will surely not in after Wrath destroy.»

The inspiration for this quatrain comes from O. 19.

The elements of a cup which he has put together,
Their breaking up a drinker cannot approve;[84]
All these heads and feet--with his finger-tips,
For love of whom did he make them?--for hate of whom did he break them?

_Ref._: O. 19, C. 64, L. 40, S.P. 37, P. ii. 7, P. 95, B. ii. 77, T. 309.--W. 42, N. 38, V. 220.

LXXXVI.

After a momentary silence spake
Some Vessel of a more ungainly make;
«They sneer at me for leaning all awry:
What! did the Hand then of the Potter shake?»

This quatrain is a perfect reflection and companion of all these Kuza Nama quatrains, but I have not found a ruba'i in O. or C. which can be pointed out as having directly inspired[85] it. It must, I think, be considered together with No. 88.

LXXXVII.

Whereat some one of the loquacious Lot--
I think a Sufi pipkin--waxing hot--
«All this of Pot and Potter--Tell me, then,
Who is the Potter pray, and who the Pot?»

LXXXVII. _Ante sub_ LXXXIII.

LXXXVIII.