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 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; 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 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.

«Why,» said another, «Some there are who tell Of one who threatens he will toss to Hell The luckless Pots he marr'd in making--Pish! He's a Good Fellow, and 'twill all be well.»

The inspiration for this quatrain, and I think for No. 86, comes from C. 69 and C. 159:

Since the Director set in order the elements of natures, For what cause does He again disperse them into loss and deficiency? If they are good, why should He break them? And if they turn out bad, well, why is there any blame to these forms?

Ref.: C. 69, L. 103, B. 99, P. 94, B. ii. 107.--W. 126, V. 103.

They say that at the resurrection there will be much searching, And that that excellent Friend will be hasty; Nothing but good ever came from the Unalloyed Goodness, Be happy! for the upshot will be all right!

Ref.: C. 159, L. 316, B. 312, S.P. 178, P. 197.--W. 193, N. 178, V. 318.

LXXXIX.

«Well,» murmured one, «Let whoso make or buy, My Clay with long Oblivion is gone dry: But fill me with the old familiar Juice, Methinks I might recover by and by.»

This quatrain is inspired by C. 188 and O. 116:

At that moment when the plant of my existence shall be rooted up, And its branches scattered in all directions; If then they make a flagon of my clay, When they fill it with wine it will live again.

Ref.: C. 188, S.P. 115.--N. 115.

When I am abased beneath the foot of Destiny, And am rooted up from the hope of life, Take heed that thou makest nothing but a goblet of my clay, Haply when it is full of wine I may revive.

Ref.: O. 116, C. 345, L. 539, B. 534, S.P. 289, P. 227, B. ii. 385, T. 230, P. v. 146.--W. 330, N. 290, V. 579.

XC.

So while the Vessels one by one were speaking, The little Moon look'd in that all were seeking: And then they jogg'd each other, «Brother! Brother! Now for the Porter's shoulder-knot a-creaking!»

* * * * *

This quatrain which concludes the Kuza Nama is inspired by the concluding quatrain of O. 158.

The month of Ramazan passes and Shawwal comes, The season of increase, and joy, and storytellers comes; Now comes that time when «Bottles upon the shoulder!» They say--for the porters come and are back to back.

Ref.: O. 158.--W. 218.

XCI.

Ah, with the Grape my fading life provide, And wash the Body whence the Life has died, And lay me, shrouded in the living Leaf, By some not unfrequented Garden-side.

This quatrain owes its inspiration to C. 12.

When I am dead wash me with wine, Say my funeral service with pure wine, If thou wishest that thou shouldst see me on the resurrection-day Thou must seek me in the earth of the tavern threshold.

Ref.: C. 12, L. 13, B. 12, S.P. 7, P. 299, B. ii. 9, T. 12.--W 6, N. 7, V. 11

From a painting by I.R. Herbert]

O. 69 may also be quoted:

Take heed to stay me with the wine-cup, And make this amber face like a ruby; When I die, wash me with wine, And out of the wood of the vine make the planks of my coffin.

Ref.: O. 69, C. 158, L. 308, B. 304, S.P. 109, P. 212, B. ii. 199, T. 143, P. v. 153.--W. 139, N. 109, V. 311.

XCII.

That ev'n my buried Ashes such a snare Of Vintage shall fling up into the Air As not a True-believer passing by But shall be overtaken unaware.

This quatrain is translated from C. 16.

I will drink so much wine that this aroma of wine Shall rise from the earth when I am beneath it; So that when a drinker shall pass above my body, He shall become drunk and degraded from the aroma of my potations.

Ref.: C. 16, L. 28, B. 26, S.P. 14, B. ii. 11.--W. 17, N. 14, V. 27.

XCIII.

Indeed the Idols I have loved so long Have done my credit in this World much wrong; Have drown'd my Glory in a shallow Cup, And sold my Reputation for a Song.

The inspiration for this quatrain comes from C. 170.

When my mood inclined to prayer and fasting, I said that all my salvation was attained; Alas! that those Ablutions are destroyed by my pleasures, And that Fast of mine is annulled by half a draught of wine.

Ref.: C. 170, L. 366, B. 362, S.P. 162, P. 343, B. ii. 207, T. 118.--W. 180, N. 162, V. 365.

The last line is suggested by O. 22.

XCIV.

Indeed, indeed, Repentance oft before I swore--but was I sober when I swore? And then and then came Spring, and Rose-in-hand My thread-bare Penitence apieces tore.

This quatrain is inspired by C. 431.

Every day I resolve to repent in the evening, Making repentance of the brimful goblet and cup; 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.

XCV.

And much as Wine has play'd the Infidel, And robb'd me of my Robe of Honour--Well, I wonder often what the Vintners buy One half so precious as the stuff they sell.

The original of this quatrain is O. 62.

Although wine has rent my veil (of reputation), So long as I have a soul I will not be separated from wine; I am in perplexity concerning vintners, for they-- What will they buy that is better than what they sell?

Ref.: O. 62, C. 196, L. 350, B. 346, P. 311, B. ii. 167, T. 123, P. iv. 63, P. v. 202.--W. 208, N. 463, E.C. 11, V. 350.

XCVI.

Yet Ah, that Spring should vanish with the Rose! That Youth's sweet-scented manuscript should close! The Nightingale that in the branches sang, Ah whence, and whither flown again, who knows!

This quatrain is translated from C. 223.

Alas! that the book of youth is folded up? And that this fresh purple spring is winter-stricken; That bird of joy, whose name is Youth, Alas! I know not when it came nor when it went.

Ref.: C. 223, L. 332, B. 328, S.P. 128, B. ii. 155, T. 161.--W. 155, N. 128, V. 334.