Analysis Of Edward Fitzgerald'S Quatrains

I.

Wake! For the Sun, who scatter'd into flight The Stars before him from the Field of Night, Drives Night along with them from Heav'n, and strikes The Sultan's Turret with a Shaft of Light.

This version of the opening quatrain is gradually evolved through the four editions. The quatrain, which, in the first edition runs:

Awake! for Morning in the Bowl of Night Has flung the Stone that puts the Stars to Flight: And lo! the Hunter of the East has caught The Sultan's Turret in a Noose of Light.

is inspired by C. 134.

The Sun casts the noose of morning upon the roofs, Kai Khosru of the day, he throws a stone into the bowl: Drink wine! for the Herald of the Dawn, rising up, Hurls into the days the cry of «Drink ye!»

Ref.:L. 235, B. 232, C. 134, P. 320, T. 138.--W. 233, V. 242.

It is not surprising that Mr. Aldis Wright, in his editorial note at the end of Messrs. Macmillan's definitive edition (London, 1890), states that «the first stanza is entirely his own,» for, in this precise form the ruba'i is only to be found in the Calcutta MS. and in a recently discovered MS. copied largely from it and belonging to the Nawab of Tonk. The matter rests upon the word «stone» in the second line. The word means «to fling a stone into a cup or pot,» which is the signal for «striking camp» among tribes of nomad Arabs. All the other texts I have seen read wine for stone which has made the translators (Whinfield and Payne) properly render the passage «pours wine into the cup.»

II.

Before the phantom of False morning died, Methought a Voice within the Tavern cried, «When all the Temple is prepared within, «Why nods the drowsy Worshipper outside?»

The inspiration for this quatrain is to be found in C. 5:

There came one morning a cry from our tavern: «Ho! our crazy, tavern-haunting profligate «Arise! that we may fill the measure with wine, «Ere they fill up our measure (of life).»

Ref.: L. 1, B. 1, C. 5, B. ii. 1, T. 3.--W. 1, N. 1, V. 1.

In FitzGerald's quatrain there is traceable the influence of one of the odes of Hafiz, translated by Prof. Cowell (in «Fraser's Magazine,» September, 1854), which he greatly admired. The lines in question run:

The morning dawns and the cloud has woven a canopy, The morning draught, my friends, the morning draught! It is strange that at such a season They shut up the wine tavern! Oh, hasten! Have they still shut up the door of the tavern? Open, oh thou Keeper of the Gates!

The influence of these lines is carried on into the next quatrain.

III.

And, as the Cock crew, those who stood before The Tavern shouted--«Open then the Door! You know how little while we have to stay, And, once departed, may return no more.»

The inspiration for this quatrain is found in four ruba'iyat of the Calcutta MS., viz.: 641, 207 (ll. 3 and 4), 273, 247.

It is the hour for the morning draught, and the cock-crow, O Saki, Here are we, and the wine, and the street of the vintners, O Saki, What time is this for devotions? Be silent, O Saki, Let be the traditions, and drink to the dregs, O Saki.

Ref.: L. 685, B. 676, C. 461, S.P. 448, B. ii. 599.--W. 483, N. 454, V. 737.

Thou must drink wine, and gratify the pleasures of thy heart, It is clear that so long (and no longer) thou wilt remain in this world.

Ref.: L. 281, B. 277, C. 207.--V. 285.

O Essence of Delight! Arise, it is the dawn! Softly, softly drink wine, and play the harp For those who are asleep do not find much, And none of those who are gone will ever come back.

Ref.: L. 431, B. 427, P. 289, C. 273, B. ii. 307, T. 173, P. v. 163.--N. 235, V. 469.

It is the dawn! Arise, O strange boy! Fill up the crystal cup with ruby wine. For this moment (of existence) that is lent thee in this corner of mortality Thou may'st seek long, but thou shalt not find it again.

Ref.: L. 402, B. 398, P. 224, S.P. 213, C. 247, B. ii. 282, P. iv. 21.--N. 214, V. 425.

IV.

Now the New Year reviving old Desires, The thoughtful Soul to Solitude retires, Where the WHITE HAND OF MOSES on the Bough Puts out, and Jesus from the Ground suspires.

This quatrain is translated from two ruba'iyat in the Ouseley MS., 13 and 80.

Now that there is a possibility of happiness for the world, Every living heart has yearnings towards the desert, Upon every bough is the appearance of Moses' hand, In every breeze is the exhalation of Jesus' breath.

Ref.: P. 194, O. 13.--W. 116.

Now is the time when by the spring breezes the world is adorned, And in hope of rain it opens its eyes, The hands of Moses appear like froth upon the bough, And the breath of Jesus comes forth from the earth.

Ref.: O. 80, L. 272, B. 268, C. 204, S.P. 186, P. 157.--W. 201, N. 186, V. 276.

V.

Iram indeed is gone with all his Rose, And Jamshyd's Sev'n-ring'd Cup where no one knows; But still a Ruby kindles in the Vine, And many a Garden by the Water blows.

This is a very composite quatrain, which cannot be claimed as a translation of all, or the main part of any, of the C. or O. quatrains. All the texts, as indeed all Persian poetry, are filled with references of which we find an echo here. In the authorities at our disposal, Jamshyd is referred to in C. 254. The Ruby in the Wine occurs in O. 39, 87, 149, and in C. 296, 304, 413, and 460. The Garden by the Water occurs in O. 151 (C. 415), and in C. 44 and 417. I have never found any reference to the Garden of Iram in quatrains attributed to Omar Khayyam.

VI.

And David's lips are lockt; but in divine High-piping Pehlevi, with «Wine! Wine! Wine! Red Wine!»--the Nightingale cries to the Rose That sallow cheek of hers to 'incarnadine.

This quatrain (eliminating the reference to David) is translated from O. 67.

It is a pleasant day, and the weather is neither hot nor cold; The rain has washed the dust from the faces of the roses; The nightingale in the Pehlevi tongue to the yellow rose Cries ever: «Thou must drink wine!»

Ref.: O. 67, L. 291, B. 287, S.P. 153, P. 230.--W. 174, N. 153, V. 294.

VII.

Come, fill the Cup, and in the fire of Spring Your Winter-garment of Repentance fling: The Bird of Time has but a little way To flutter--and the Bird is on the Wing.

This is another composite quatrain, and the similarity of its sentiment to that of No. 94 (post) makes it somewhat difficult to allocate the parallels to it. The first two lines come from two quatrains in C. 431 and 460 (ll. 1 and 2).

Every day I resolve to repent in the evening, Repenting of the brimful goblet, and the cup; (But) now that the season of roses has come, I cannot grieve, Give penitence for repentance in the season of roses, O Lord!

Ref.: C. 431, L. 655, B. 647, B. ii. 510.--W. 425, V. 704.

The flowers are blooming, bring wine, O Saki, Abandon the practices of the zealot, O Saki.

Ref.: C. 460, L. 684, B. 675, B. ii. 540.--V. 736.

The image of the flight of time permeates the whole of the quatrains. The precise image that FitzGerald uses in ll. 3 and 4 I find in the 24th distich of the Mantik ut-tair of Ferid ud din Attar.

The bird of the sky flutters along its appointed path.