rubaiyat of omar khayyam-第1章

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Rubaiyat　of　Omar　Khayyam；　rendered　into　English　verse

by　Edward　Fitzgerald






Contents：



　　Introduction。

　　First　Edition。

　　Fifth　Edition。

　　Notes。






Introduction











Omar　Khayyam；

The　Astronomer…Poet　of　Persia。





Omar　Khayyam　was　born　at　Naishapur　in　Khorassan　in　the　latter　half　of

our　Eleventh；　and　died　within　the　First　Quarter　of　our　Twelfth

Century。　　The　Slender　Story　of　his　Life　is　curiously　twined　about　that

of　two　other　very　considerable　Figures　in　their　Time　and　Country：　one

of　whom　tells　the　Story　of　all　Three。　　This　was　Nizam　ul　Mulk；　Vizier

to　Alp　Arslan　the　Son；　and　Malik　Shah　the　Grandson；　of　Toghrul　Beg　the

Tartar；　who　had　wrested　Persia　from　the　feeble　Successor　of　Mahmud　the

Great；　and　founded　that　Seljukian　Dynasty　which　finally　roused　Europe

into　the　Crusades。　　This　Nizam　ul　Mulk；　in　his　Wasiyator

Testamentwhich　he　wrote　and　left　as　a　Memorial　for　future

Statesmenrelates　the　following；　as　quoted　in　the　Calcutta　Review；

No。　59；　from　Mirkhond's　History　of　the　Assassins。



〃'One　of　the　greatest　of　the　wise　men　of　Khorassan　was　the　Imam

Mowaffak　of　Naishapur；　a　man　highly　honored　and　reverenced；may　God

rejoice　his　soul；　his　illustrious　years　exceeded　eighty…five；　and　it

was　the　universal　belief　that　every　boy　who　read　the　Koran　or　studied

the　traditions　in　his　presence；　would　assuredly　attain　to　honor　and

happiness。　　For　this　cause　did　my　father　send　me　from　Tus　to　Naishapur

with　Abd…us…samad；　the　doctor　of　law；　that　I　might　employ　myself　in

study　and　learning　under　the　guidance　of　that　illustrious　teacher。

Towards　me　he　ever　turned　an　eye　of　favor　and　kindness；　and　as　his

pupil　I　felt　for　him　extreme　affection　and　devotion；　so　that　I　passed

four　years　in　his　service。　　When　I　first　came　there；　I　found　two　other

pupils　of　mine　own　age　newly　arrived；　Hakim　Omar　Khayyam；　and　the　ill…

fated　Ben　Sabbah。　　Both　were　endowed　with　sharpness　of　wit　and　the

highest　natural　powers；　and　we　three　formed　a　close　friendship

together。　　When　the　Imam　rose　from　his　lectures；　they　used　to　join　me；

and　we　repeated　to　each　other　the　lessons　we　had　heard。　　Now　Omar　was

a　native　of　Naishapur；　while　Hasan　Ben　Sabbah's　father　was　one　Ali；　a

man　of　austere　life　and　practise；　but　heretical　in　his　creed　and

doctrine。　　One　day　Hasan　said　to　me　and　to　Khayyam；　〃It　is　a　universal

belief　that　the　pupils　of　the　Imam　Mowaffak　will　attain　to　fortune。

Now；　even　if　we　all　do　not　attain　thereto；　without　doubt　one　of　us

will；　what　then　shall　be　our　mutual　pledge　and　bond？〃　　We　answered；

〃Be　it　what　you　please。〃　　〃Well；〃　he　said；　〃let　us　make　a　vow；　that　to

whomsoever　this　fortune　falls；　he　shall　share　it　equally　with　the

rest；　and　reserve　no　pre…eminence　for　himself。〃　　〃Be　it　so；〃　we　both

replied；　and　on　those　terms　we　mutually　pledged　our　words。　　Years

rolled　on；　and　I　went　from　Khorassan　to　Transoxiana；　and　wandered　to

Ghazni　and　Cabul；　and　when　I　returned；　I　was　invested　with　office；　and

rose　to　be　administrator　of　affairs　during　the　Sultanate　of　Sultan　Alp

Arslan。'



〃He　goes　on　to　state；　that　years　passed　by；　and　both　his　old　school…

friends　found　him　out；　and　came　and　claimed　a　share　in　his　good

fortune；　according　to　the　school…day　vow。　　The　Vizier　was　generous　and

kept　his　word。　　Hasan　demanded　a　place　in　the　government；　which　the

Sultan　granted　at　the　Vizier's　request；　but　discontented　with　a

gradual　rise；　he　plunged　into　the　maze　of　intrigue　of　an　oriental

court；　and；　failing　in　a　base　attempt　to　supplant　his　benefactor；　he

was　disgraced　and　fell。　　After　many　mishaps　and　wanderings；　Hasan

became　the　head　of　the　Persian　sect　of　the　Ismailians；a　party　of

fanatics　who　had　long　murmured　in　obscurity；　but　rose　to　an　evil

eminence　under　the　guidance　of　his　strong　and　evil　will。　　In　A。D。

1090；　he　seized　the　castle　of　Alamut；　in　the　province　of　Rudbar；　which

lies　in　the　mountainous　tract　south　of　the　Caspian　Sea；　and　it　was

from　this　mountain　home　he　obtained　that　evil　celebrity　among　the

Crusaders　as　the　OLD　MAN　OF　THE　MOUNTAINS；　and　spread　terror　through

the　Mohammedan　world；　and　it　is　yet　disputed　where　the　word　Assassin；

which　they　have　left　in　the　language　of　modern　Europe　as　their　dark

memorial；　is　derived　from　the　hashish；　or　opiate　of　hemp…leaves　（the

Indian　bhang）；　with　which　they　maddened　themselves　to　the　sullen　pitch

of　oriental　desperation；　or　from　the　name　of　the　founder　of　the

dynasty；　whom　we　have　seen　in　his　quiet　collegiate　days；　at　Naishapur。

One　of　the　countless　victims　of　the　Assassin's　dagger　was　Nizam　ul

Mulk　himself；　the　old　school…boy　friend。



　　Some　of　Omar's　Rubaiyat　warn　us　of　the　danger　of　Greatness；　the

　　instability　of　Fortune；　and　while　advocating　Charity　to　all　Men；

　　recommending　us　to　be　too　intimate　with　none。　　Attar　makes　Nizam…ul…

　　Mulk　use　the　very　words　of　his　friend　Omar　＇Rub。　xxviii。＇；　〃When

　　Nizam…ul…Mulk　was　in　the　Agony　（of　Death）　he　said；　'Oh　God！　　I　am

　　passing　away　in　the　hand　of　the　wind。'〃



〃Omar　Khayyam　also　came　to　the　Vizier　to　claim　his　share；　but　not　to

ask　for　title　or　office。　　'The　greatest　boon　you　can　confer　on　me；'　he

said；　'is　to　let　me　live　in　a　corner　under　the　shadow　of　your　fortune；

to　spread　wide　the　advantages　of　Science；　and　pray　for　your　long　life

and　prosperity。'　　The　Vizier　tells　us；　that　when　he　found　Omar　was

really　sincere　in　his　refusal；　he　pressed　him　no　further；　but　granted

him　a　yearly　pension　of　1200　mithkals　of　gold　from　the　treasury　of

Naishapur。



〃At　Naishapur　thus　lived　and　died　Omar　Khayyam；　'busied；'　adds　the

Vizier；　'in　winning　knowledge　of　every　kind；　and　especially　in

Astronomy；　wherein　he　attained　to　a　very　high　pre…eminence。　　Under　the

Sultanate　of　Malik　Shah；　he　came　to　Merv；　and　obtained　great　praise

for　his　proficiency　in　science；　and　the　Sultan　showered　favors　upon

him。'



〃When　the　Malik　Shah　determined　to　reform　the　calendar；　Omar　was　one

of　the　eight　learned　men　employed　to　do　it；　the　result　was　the　Jalali

era　（so　called　from　Jalal…ud…din；　one　of　the　king's　names）'a

computation　of　time；'　says　Gibbon；　'which　surpasses　the　Julian；　and

approaches　the　accuracy　of　the　Gregorian　style。'　　He　is　also　the

author　of　some　astronomical　tables；　entitled　'Ziji…Malikshahi；'　and

the　French　have　lately　republished　and　translated　an　Arabic　Treatise

of　his　on　Algebra。



〃His　Takhallus　or　poetical　name　（Khayyam）　signifies　a　Tent…maker；　and

he　is　said　to　have　at　one　time　exercised　that　trade；　perhaps　before

Nizam…ul…Mulk's　generosity　raised　him　to　independence。　　Many　Persian

poets　similarly　derive　their　names　from　their　occupations；　thus　we

have　Attar；　'a　druggist；'　Assar；　'an　oil　presser；'　etc。　　Omar

himself　alludes　to　his　name　in　the　following　whimsical　lines：



　〃'Khayyam；　who　stitched　the　tents　of　science；

　　　Has　fallen　in　grief's　furnace　and　been　suddenly　burned；

　　　The　shears　of　Fate　have　cut　the　tent　ropes　of　his　life；

　　　And　the　broker　of　Hope　has　sold　him　for　nothing！'



　　Though　all　these；　like　our　Smiths；　Archers；　Millers；　Fletchers；

　　etc。；　may　simply　retain　the　Surname　of　an　hereditary　calling。



〃We　have　only　one　more　anecdote　to　give　of　his　Life；　and　that　relates

to　the　close；　it　is　told　in　the　anonymous　preface　which　is　sometimes

prefixed　to　his　poems；　it　has　been　printed　in　the　Persian　in　the

Appendix　to　Hyde's　Veterum　Persarum　Religio；　p。　499；　and　D'Herbelot

alludes　to　it　in　his　Bibliotheque；　under　Khiam。



〃'It　is　written　in　the　chronicles　of　the　ancients　that　this　King　of

the　Wise；　Omar　Khayyam；　died　at　Naishapur　in　the　year　of　the　Hegira；

517　（A。D。　1123）；　in　science　he　was　unrivaled；the　very　paragon　of　his

age。　　Khwajah　Nizami　of　Samarcand；　who　was　one　of　his　pupils；　relates

the　following　story：　〃I　often　used　to　hold　conversations　with　my

teacher；　Omar　Khayyam；　in　a　garden；　and　one　day　he　said　to　me；

'My　tomb　shall　be　in　a　spot　where　the　north　wind　may　scatter　roses

over　it。'　　I　wondered　at　the　words