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, 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).

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? 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, And then I will take the daughter of the vine 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, I know the inwardness of all that is high and low; Nevertheless let me be ashamed of 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.