NOTES TO THE QUATRAINS

NOTES TO THE QUATRAINSITo open a poem with a few amatory lines, is a literary tradition among Arab poets. But Abu’l-Ala, having had no occasion to evince such tender emotions, whether real or merely academic, succeeded, as in everything else he did, in deviating from the trodden path. I find, however, in his minor Diwan,Suct uz-Zand,a slight manifestation of his youthful ardor, of which this and the succeeding quatrains, descriptive of the charms of Night, are fairly representative.III“Ahmad,” Mohammed the Prophet.IV“And hear the others who with cymbals try,” etc., meaning the Christians; in the preceding quatrain he referred to the Mohammedans.VIIMilton, in Il Penseroso, also speaks of night as “the starred Ethiop queen”; and Shakespeare, in Romeo and Juliet, has these lines:“Her beauty hangs upon the cheek of nightAs a rich jewel in an Ethiop ear.”The source of inspiration is the same to all world-poets, who only differ sometimes in the jars they bring to the source.XIIIThe purple, white, and gray garments, symbolizing Man’s dreams of power, of love, and of bliss.XIVThe same idea is expressed by Omar Khayyam. Here are the first three lines of the 122nd quatrain of Heron-Allen’s literal translation:“To him who understands the mysteries of the worldThe joy and sorrow of the world is all the same,Since the good and the bad of the world all come to an end.”“Howdaj,” a sort of palanquin borne by camels; hence, a wedding or a triumphal procession.XVII“Thamud” and “’Ad,” two of the primitive tribes which figure prominently in the legendary history of Arabia. They flouted and stoned the prophets that were sent to them, and are constantly held up in the Koran as terrible examples of the pride that goeth before destruction.“Hashem’s fearless lad,” Mohammed the Prophet.XVIIII quote again from Omar, Fitzgerald’s translation:“And this reviving Herb, whose Tender GreenFledges the River-Lip, on which we lean—Ah, lean upon it lightly! for who knowsFrom what once lovely Lip it springs unseen.”In justice to both the Persian and the Arab poet, however, I give the 43d quatrain of Heron-Allen’s, which I think contains two lines of that of Fitzgerald, together with Abu’l-Ala’s own poetic-fancy.“Everywhere that there has been a rose or tulip bedThere has been spilled the crimson blood of a king;Every violet shoot that grows from the earthIs a mole that was once upon the cheek of beauty.”XX“Zakkum,” a tree which, in Mohammedan mythology, is said to have its roots in hell, and from which are fed the dwellers of hell-fire. In one of the Chapters of the Koran, The Saffat, I find this upon it: “And is that a pure bounty, or the Zakkum tree? It is a tree which groweth in hell; its fruits are like unto the heads of the devils, who eat from it, and from it fill their stomachs.”Zakkum is also one of the bitter-fruited trees of Arabia. And the people there speak of “a mouthful of zakkum” when they want to describe an unhappy experience. It is also the name of one of the plants of the desert, whose flower is like the jasmine; and of one of the trees of Jericho, whose fruit is like the date, but somewhat bitter.XXIII“Jannat,” Paradise. “Juhannam,” Hell.XXIXAnd Tennyson also says:“There is more truth in honest doubt,Believe me, than in all the creeds.”XXXI“Mutakallem,” disputant. Themutakalleminare the logicians and theologians of Islam.XXXIIIHadil is a poetic term for dove. And in Arabic mythology it is the name of a particular dove, which died of thirst in the days of Noah, and is bemoaned until this day.“Ababil,” a flock of birds, who scourged with flint-stones which they carried in their beaks, one of the ancient Arab tribes, noted for its idolatry and evil practices.XXXVIII,XCIIIandXCIVI quote again from Omar, Fitzgerald’s version, quatrain 44:“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 himIn this clay carcass crippled to abide?”And from Heron-Allen’s, quatrain 145:“O Soul, if thou canst purify thyself from the dust of the clay,Thou, naked spirit, canst soar in the heav’ns,The Empyrian is thy sphere—let it be thy shameThat thou comest and art a dweller within the confines of earth.”XLVIII“The walking dust was once a thing of stone,” is my rendering of the line,“And he concerning whom the world is puzzledIs an animal evolved of inorganic matter.”This line of Abu’l-Ala is much quoted by his enthusiastic admirers of the present day to provethat he anticipated Darwin’s theory of evolution. And it is remarkable how the fancy of the poet sometimes coincides with the logical conclusions of the scientist.XLIX“Iblis,” the devil.L“Rabbi,” my lord God.LVIThis quatrain is quoted by many of the Biographers of Abu’l-Ala to prove that he is a materialist. Which argument is easily refuted, however, with others quatrains taken at random from the Luzumiyat.LVII,LVIIIandLIXOmar was also a confessed cynical-hypocrite. Thus runs the first line of the 114th quatrain of Heron-Allen’s:“The world being fleeting I practise naught but artifice.”And he also chafes in the chains of his sins. Following is the 23d quatrain of the same translation:“Khayyam, why mourn for thy sins?From grieving thus what advantage more or less dost thou gain?Mercy was never for him who sins not,Mercy is granted for sins; why then grieve?”Abu’l-Ala, in a quatrain which I did not translate, goes even farther in his questioning perplexity.“Why do good since thou art to be forgiven for thy sins?” he asks.LXII“Kaaba Stone,” the sacred black stone in the Kaaba at Meccah.LXXVIIThe American poet, Lowell, in “The Crisis,” utters the same cry:“Truth forever on the scaffold,Wrong forever on the throne.”XC“And the poor beetle that we tread uponIn corporal sufferance finds a pang as greatAs when a giant dies.”—Shakespeare: Measure for Measure.“To let go a flea is a more virtuous act than to give a dirham to a beggar.”—Abu’l-Ala.XCIIIandXCIVOmar too, in the 157th quatrain of Heron-Allen’s—“Had I charge of the matter I would not have come,And likewise could I control my going, where could I go?”XCV“Thy two soul-devouring angels,” the angels of death and resurrection.XCVI“Nubakht,” one of the opponents of the Prophet Mohammed.CIII“Rabbi,” my lord God.CIV“And like the dead of Ind,” referring to the practice of the Hindus who burn their dead.“Munker” and “Nakir,” the two angels who on the Day of Judgment open the graves of the dead and cross-examine them—the process is said to be very cruel—as to their faith. Whosoever is found wanting in this is pushed back into the grave and thence thrown into Juhannam. No wonder Abu’l-Ala prefers cremation.CVHe wrote his own epitaph, which is:“This wrong to me was by my father done,But never by me to any one.”CVI“Izrail,” the angel of death.CXV,CXVIandCXVIIThese will suggest to the reader Shakespeare’s lines:“ImperialCaesar, dead and turned to clay,Might stop a hole to keep the wind away;O, that that earth, which kept the world in awe,Should stop a wall t’expel the winter’s flaw.”CXVIIICompare this with Omar’s:“Thou hast no power over the morrow,And anxiety about the morrow is useless to thee:Waste not thou the moment, if thy heart is not mad,For the value of the remainder of thy life is not certain.”PRESS AND PERSONAL NOTICESMr. Rihani’s book is soundly workmanlike, with adequate scholarship, and is often very felicitous. He has done a real service to modern understanding of an important though slightly known literature in presenting these selections with sufficient annotation.—New York Evening Sun.The Luzumiyat. By Abu’l-Ala. Born in Syria, in the tenth century A. D., this poet, scholar, teacher, philosopher and pessimist became known as “the Voltaire of the East,” and may well be read for the beauty of his work, even if there is little agreement with his general ideas of life.—The Christian Century.Abu’l-Ala is a true poet, with a philosophy much nobler than Omar’s, and Mr. Rihani’s translation has rare poetic qualities.—Edwin Markham.If I had but a garden for a bowerWherein the roses of Damascus flower,How happy, with the Luzumiyat in hand,To pass the afternoon and sunset hour!Clinton Scollard.“The Luzumiyat” of Abu’l-Ala, as rendered into English by Mr. Ameen Rihani, is more than a mere translation—it is excellent poetry. Aside from its interest as a literary curiosity, it possesses intrinsic value as literature of a high quality. The historical matter contained in the preface of the book, as well as the notes following the preface, will appeal to the scholar who makes a study of the best expressions of Oriental thought.—James B. Kenyon.The first English rendition of the Luzumiyat of Abu’l-Ala, comes from Ameen Rihani, the author of the Book of Khaled, who has selected the quatrains from three volumes of the works of the Syrian poet. For those who cling to a childish haze concerning Assyrians and Syrians, we would add that while the Assyrian comes down like a wolf on the fold, the Syrian, at least this particular one, has a tread like Omar Khayyam. Therein lies the chief interest of the Luzumiyat, unfair as it may be, in view of the fact that Abu’l-Ala died at about the time Omar was born. So marked and far-reaching is the resemblance, that we might almost bring ourselves to the belief that in Omar Khayyam was recreated the soul of Abu’l-Ala, with subtle changes, notable among them the casting off of the tenets of prohibition, and a substitution of fatalism for stoicism.—The Sun (New York).What Fitzgerald did for the Man of Neishapur in his wonderful version of the Rubaiyat, Mr. Rihani has done, in scarcely inferior measure, for his own remote ancestor Abu’l-Ala. Mr. Rihani, who is a poet and essayist in English as well as in Arabic, has made a permanent addition to Literature. The Luzumiyat can not be displaced.—Michael Monahan.Mr. Rihani has rendered valuable service to Literature in making the career of “The Lucretius of Islam,” as he happily calls him, known to the general reader in the English-speaking world.... The similarity of the Luzumiyat to Omar Khayyam under certain aspects, should win for Rihani’s brilliant rendering a generous measure of recognition. As it is, the rare merits of the book, the critical power of the preface, the skill and sincere feeling exhibited in the verse, and the wide knowledge of English Literature shown in the notes, make it, to my mind, a little masterpiece.—Percy White.The similarity in some parts of the Luzumiyat to Omar Khayyam is striking. But Abu’l-Ala, to my mind, is a greater poet, and he is at times so remarkably modern. I am glad to make his acquaintance through your excellent translation.—R. B. Cunninghame Graham.There is a compelling power in his attack on hypocrisy and quackery, in his recognition of the supremacy of reason and the human soul. Those who still fondly turn to the “Rubaiyat” for enjoyment will surely find stimulus, too, and pleasure in these ruthless rhymes.—Asia.

ITo open a poem with a few amatory lines, is a literary tradition among Arab poets. But Abu’l-Ala, having had no occasion to evince such tender emotions, whether real or merely academic, succeeded, as in everything else he did, in deviating from the trodden path. I find, however, in his minor Diwan,Suct uz-Zand,a slight manifestation of his youthful ardor, of which this and the succeeding quatrains, descriptive of the charms of Night, are fairly representative.

To open a poem with a few amatory lines, is a literary tradition among Arab poets. But Abu’l-Ala, having had no occasion to evince such tender emotions, whether real or merely academic, succeeded, as in everything else he did, in deviating from the trodden path. I find, however, in his minor Diwan,Suct uz-Zand,a slight manifestation of his youthful ardor, of which this and the succeeding quatrains, descriptive of the charms of Night, are fairly representative.

III“Ahmad,” Mohammed the Prophet.

III

“Ahmad,” Mohammed the Prophet.

IV“And hear the others who with cymbals try,” etc., meaning the Christians; in the preceding quatrain he referred to the Mohammedans.

“And hear the others who with cymbals try,” etc., meaning the Christians; in the preceding quatrain he referred to the Mohammedans.

VIIMilton, in Il Penseroso, also speaks of night as “the starred Ethiop queen”; and Shakespeare, in Romeo and Juliet, has these lines:“Her beauty hangs upon the cheek of nightAs a rich jewel in an Ethiop ear.”The source of inspiration is the same to all world-poets, who only differ sometimes in the jars they bring to the source.

VII

Milton, in Il Penseroso, also speaks of night as “the starred Ethiop queen”; and Shakespeare, in Romeo and Juliet, has these lines:“Her beauty hangs upon the cheek of nightAs a rich jewel in an Ethiop ear.”The source of inspiration is the same to all world-poets, who only differ sometimes in the jars they bring to the source.

Milton, in Il Penseroso, also speaks of night as “the starred Ethiop queen”; and Shakespeare, in Romeo and Juliet, has these lines:

“Her beauty hangs upon the cheek of nightAs a rich jewel in an Ethiop ear.”

“Her beauty hangs upon the cheek of night

As a rich jewel in an Ethiop ear.”

The source of inspiration is the same to all world-poets, who only differ sometimes in the jars they bring to the source.

XIIIThe purple, white, and gray garments, symbolizing Man’s dreams of power, of love, and of bliss.

XIII

The purple, white, and gray garments, symbolizing Man’s dreams of power, of love, and of bliss.

XIVThe same idea is expressed by Omar Khayyam. Here are the first three lines of the 122nd quatrain of Heron-Allen’s literal translation:“To him who understands the mysteries of the worldThe joy and sorrow of the world is all the same,Since the good and the bad of the world all come to an end.”“Howdaj,” a sort of palanquin borne by camels; hence, a wedding or a triumphal procession.

XIV

The same idea is expressed by Omar Khayyam. Here are the first three lines of the 122nd quatrain of Heron-Allen’s literal translation:“To him who understands the mysteries of the worldThe joy and sorrow of the world is all the same,Since the good and the bad of the world all come to an end.”“Howdaj,” a sort of palanquin borne by camels; hence, a wedding or a triumphal procession.

The same idea is expressed by Omar Khayyam. Here are the first three lines of the 122nd quatrain of Heron-Allen’s literal translation:

“To him who understands the mysteries of the worldThe joy and sorrow of the world is all the same,Since the good and the bad of the world all come to an end.”

“To him who understands the mysteries of the world

The joy and sorrow of the world is all the same,

Since the good and the bad of the world all come to an end.”

“Howdaj,” a sort of palanquin borne by camels; hence, a wedding or a triumphal procession.

XVII“Thamud” and “’Ad,” two of the primitive tribes which figure prominently in the legendary history of Arabia. They flouted and stoned the prophets that were sent to them, and are constantly held up in the Koran as terrible examples of the pride that goeth before destruction.“Hashem’s fearless lad,” Mohammed the Prophet.

XVII

“Thamud” and “’Ad,” two of the primitive tribes which figure prominently in the legendary history of Arabia. They flouted and stoned the prophets that were sent to them, and are constantly held up in the Koran as terrible examples of the pride that goeth before destruction.“Hashem’s fearless lad,” Mohammed the Prophet.

“Hashem’s fearless lad,” Mohammed the Prophet.

XVIIII quote again from Omar, Fitzgerald’s translation:“And this reviving Herb, whose Tender GreenFledges the River-Lip, on which we lean—Ah, lean upon it lightly! for who knowsFrom what once lovely Lip it springs unseen.”In justice to both the Persian and the Arab poet, however, I give the 43d quatrain of Heron-Allen’s, which I think contains two lines of that of Fitzgerald, together with Abu’l-Ala’s own poetic-fancy.“Everywhere that there has been a rose or tulip bedThere has been spilled the crimson blood of a king;Every violet shoot that grows from the earthIs a mole that was once upon the cheek of beauty.”

XVIII

I quote again from Omar, Fitzgerald’s translation:“And this reviving Herb, whose Tender GreenFledges the River-Lip, on which we lean—Ah, lean upon it lightly! for who knowsFrom what once lovely Lip it springs unseen.”In justice to both the Persian and the Arab poet, however, I give the 43d quatrain of Heron-Allen’s, which I think contains two lines of that of Fitzgerald, together with Abu’l-Ala’s own poetic-fancy.“Everywhere that there has been a rose or tulip bedThere has been spilled the crimson blood of a king;Every violet shoot that grows from the earthIs a mole that was once upon the cheek of beauty.”

I quote again from Omar, Fitzgerald’s translation:

“And this reviving Herb, whose Tender GreenFledges the River-Lip, on which we lean—Ah, lean upon it lightly! for who knowsFrom what once lovely Lip it springs unseen.”

“And this reviving Herb, whose Tender Green

Fledges the River-Lip, on which we lean—

Ah, lean upon it lightly! for who knows

From what once lovely Lip it springs unseen.”

In justice to both the Persian and the Arab poet, however, I give the 43d quatrain of Heron-Allen’s, which I think contains two lines of that of Fitzgerald, together with Abu’l-Ala’s own poetic-fancy.

“Everywhere that there has been a rose or tulip bedThere has been spilled the crimson blood of a king;Every violet shoot that grows from the earthIs a mole that was once upon the cheek of beauty.”

“Everywhere that there has been a rose or tulip bed

There has been spilled the crimson blood of a king;

Every violet shoot that grows from the earth

Is a mole that was once upon the cheek of beauty.”

XX“Zakkum,” a tree which, in Mohammedan mythology, is said to have its roots in hell, and from which are fed the dwellers of hell-fire. In one of the Chapters of the Koran, The Saffat, I find this upon it: “And is that a pure bounty, or the Zakkum tree? It is a tree which groweth in hell; its fruits are like unto the heads of the devils, who eat from it, and from it fill their stomachs.”Zakkum is also one of the bitter-fruited trees of Arabia. And the people there speak of “a mouthful of zakkum” when they want to describe an unhappy experience. It is also the name of one of the plants of the desert, whose flower is like the jasmine; and of one of the trees of Jericho, whose fruit is like the date, but somewhat bitter.

“Zakkum,” a tree which, in Mohammedan mythology, is said to have its roots in hell, and from which are fed the dwellers of hell-fire. In one of the Chapters of the Koran, The Saffat, I find this upon it: “And is that a pure bounty, or the Zakkum tree? It is a tree which groweth in hell; its fruits are like unto the heads of the devils, who eat from it, and from it fill their stomachs.”Zakkum is also one of the bitter-fruited trees of Arabia. And the people there speak of “a mouthful of zakkum” when they want to describe an unhappy experience. It is also the name of one of the plants of the desert, whose flower is like the jasmine; and of one of the trees of Jericho, whose fruit is like the date, but somewhat bitter.

Zakkum is also one of the bitter-fruited trees of Arabia. And the people there speak of “a mouthful of zakkum” when they want to describe an unhappy experience. It is also the name of one of the plants of the desert, whose flower is like the jasmine; and of one of the trees of Jericho, whose fruit is like the date, but somewhat bitter.

XXIII“Jannat,” Paradise. “Juhannam,” Hell.

XXIII

“Jannat,” Paradise. “Juhannam,” Hell.

XXIXAnd Tennyson also says:“There is more truth in honest doubt,Believe me, than in all the creeds.”

XXIX

And Tennyson also says:“There is more truth in honest doubt,Believe me, than in all the creeds.”

And Tennyson also says:

“There is more truth in honest doubt,Believe me, than in all the creeds.”

“There is more truth in honest doubt,

Believe me, than in all the creeds.”

XXXI“Mutakallem,” disputant. Themutakalleminare the logicians and theologians of Islam.

XXXI

“Mutakallem,” disputant. Themutakalleminare the logicians and theologians of Islam.

XXXIIIHadil is a poetic term for dove. And in Arabic mythology it is the name of a particular dove, which died of thirst in the days of Noah, and is bemoaned until this day.“Ababil,” a flock of birds, who scourged with flint-stones which they carried in their beaks, one of the ancient Arab tribes, noted for its idolatry and evil practices.

XXXIII

Hadil is a poetic term for dove. And in Arabic mythology it is the name of a particular dove, which died of thirst in the days of Noah, and is bemoaned until this day.“Ababil,” a flock of birds, who scourged with flint-stones which they carried in their beaks, one of the ancient Arab tribes, noted for its idolatry and evil practices.

Hadil is a poetic term for dove. And in Arabic mythology it is the name of a particular dove, which died of thirst in the days of Noah, and is bemoaned until this day.

“Ababil,” a flock of birds, who scourged with flint-stones which they carried in their beaks, one of the ancient Arab tribes, noted for its idolatry and evil practices.

XXXVIII,XCIIIandXCIVI quote again from Omar, Fitzgerald’s version, quatrain 44:“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 himIn this clay carcass crippled to abide?”And from Heron-Allen’s, quatrain 145:“O Soul, if thou canst purify thyself from the dust of the clay,Thou, naked spirit, canst soar in the heav’ns,The Empyrian is thy sphere—let it be thy shameThat thou comest and art a dweller within the confines of earth.”

XXXVIII,XCIIIandXCIV

I quote again from Omar, Fitzgerald’s version, quatrain 44:“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 himIn this clay carcass crippled to abide?”And from Heron-Allen’s, quatrain 145:“O Soul, if thou canst purify thyself from the dust of the clay,Thou, naked spirit, canst soar in the heav’ns,The Empyrian is thy sphere—let it be thy shameThat thou comest and art a dweller within the confines of earth.”

I quote again from Omar, Fitzgerald’s version, quatrain 44:

“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 himIn this clay carcass crippled to abide?”

“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 carcass crippled to abide?”

And from Heron-Allen’s, quatrain 145:

“O Soul, if thou canst purify thyself from the dust of the clay,Thou, naked spirit, canst soar in the heav’ns,The Empyrian is thy sphere—let it be thy shameThat thou comest and art a dweller within the confines of earth.”

“O Soul, if thou canst purify thyself from the dust of the clay,

Thou, naked spirit, canst soar in the heav’ns,

The Empyrian is thy sphere—let it be thy shame

That thou comest and art a dweller within the confines of earth.”

XLVIII“The walking dust was once a thing of stone,” is my rendering of the line,“And he concerning whom the world is puzzledIs an animal evolved of inorganic matter.”This line of Abu’l-Ala is much quoted by his enthusiastic admirers of the present day to provethat he anticipated Darwin’s theory of evolution. And it is remarkable how the fancy of the poet sometimes coincides with the logical conclusions of the scientist.

XLVIII

“The walking dust was once a thing of stone,” is my rendering of the line,“And he concerning whom the world is puzzledIs an animal evolved of inorganic matter.”This line of Abu’l-Ala is much quoted by his enthusiastic admirers of the present day to provethat he anticipated Darwin’s theory of evolution. And it is remarkable how the fancy of the poet sometimes coincides with the logical conclusions of the scientist.

“The walking dust was once a thing of stone,” is my rendering of the line,

“And he concerning whom the world is puzzledIs an animal evolved of inorganic matter.”

“And he concerning whom the world is puzzled

Is an animal evolved of inorganic matter.”

This line of Abu’l-Ala is much quoted by his enthusiastic admirers of the present day to provethat he anticipated Darwin’s theory of evolution. And it is remarkable how the fancy of the poet sometimes coincides with the logical conclusions of the scientist.

XLIX“Iblis,” the devil.

XLIX

“Iblis,” the devil.

L“Rabbi,” my lord God.

“Rabbi,” my lord God.

LVIThis quatrain is quoted by many of the Biographers of Abu’l-Ala to prove that he is a materialist. Which argument is easily refuted, however, with others quatrains taken at random from the Luzumiyat.

LVI

This quatrain is quoted by many of the Biographers of Abu’l-Ala to prove that he is a materialist. Which argument is easily refuted, however, with others quatrains taken at random from the Luzumiyat.

LVII,LVIIIandLIXOmar was also a confessed cynical-hypocrite. Thus runs the first line of the 114th quatrain of Heron-Allen’s:“The world being fleeting I practise naught but artifice.”And he also chafes in the chains of his sins. Following is the 23d quatrain of the same translation:“Khayyam, why mourn for thy sins?From grieving thus what advantage more or less dost thou gain?Mercy was never for him who sins not,Mercy is granted for sins; why then grieve?”Abu’l-Ala, in a quatrain which I did not translate, goes even farther in his questioning perplexity.“Why do good since thou art to be forgiven for thy sins?” he asks.

LVII,LVIIIandLIX

Omar was also a confessed cynical-hypocrite. Thus runs the first line of the 114th quatrain of Heron-Allen’s:“The world being fleeting I practise naught but artifice.”And he also chafes in the chains of his sins. Following is the 23d quatrain of the same translation:“Khayyam, why mourn for thy sins?From grieving thus what advantage more or less dost thou gain?Mercy was never for him who sins not,Mercy is granted for sins; why then grieve?”Abu’l-Ala, in a quatrain which I did not translate, goes even farther in his questioning perplexity.“Why do good since thou art to be forgiven for thy sins?” he asks.

Omar was also a confessed cynical-hypocrite. Thus runs the first line of the 114th quatrain of Heron-Allen’s:

“The world being fleeting I practise naught but artifice.”

And he also chafes in the chains of his sins. Following is the 23d quatrain of the same translation:

“Khayyam, why mourn for thy sins?From grieving thus what advantage more or less dost thou gain?Mercy was never for him who sins not,Mercy is granted for sins; why then grieve?”

“Khayyam, why mourn for thy sins?

From grieving thus what advantage more or less dost thou gain?

Mercy was never for him who sins not,

Mercy is granted for sins; why then grieve?”

Abu’l-Ala, in a quatrain which I did not translate, goes even farther in his questioning perplexity.“Why do good since thou art to be forgiven for thy sins?” he asks.

LXII“Kaaba Stone,” the sacred black stone in the Kaaba at Meccah.

LXII

“Kaaba Stone,” the sacred black stone in the Kaaba at Meccah.

LXXVIIThe American poet, Lowell, in “The Crisis,” utters the same cry:“Truth forever on the scaffold,Wrong forever on the throne.”

LXXVII

The American poet, Lowell, in “The Crisis,” utters the same cry:“Truth forever on the scaffold,Wrong forever on the throne.”

The American poet, Lowell, in “The Crisis,” utters the same cry:

“Truth forever on the scaffold,Wrong forever on the throne.”

“Truth forever on the scaffold,

Wrong forever on the throne.”

XC“And the poor beetle that we tread uponIn corporal sufferance finds a pang as greatAs when a giant dies.”—Shakespeare: Measure for Measure.“To let go a flea is a more virtuous act than to give a dirham to a beggar.”—Abu’l-Ala.

XC“And the poor beetle that we tread uponIn corporal sufferance finds a pang as greatAs when a giant dies.”

“And the poor beetle that we tread uponIn corporal sufferance finds a pang as greatAs when a giant dies.”

“And the poor beetle that we tread upon

In corporal sufferance finds a pang as great

As when a giant dies.”

—Shakespeare: Measure for Measure.“To let go a flea is a more virtuous act than to give a dirham to a beggar.”—Abu’l-Ala.

—Shakespeare: Measure for Measure.

“To let go a flea is a more virtuous act than to give a dirham to a beggar.”—Abu’l-Ala.

XCIIIandXCIVOmar too, in the 157th quatrain of Heron-Allen’s—“Had I charge of the matter I would not have come,And likewise could I control my going, where could I go?”

XCIIIandXCIV

Omar too, in the 157th quatrain of Heron-Allen’s—“Had I charge of the matter I would not have come,And likewise could I control my going, where could I go?”

Omar too, in the 157th quatrain of Heron-Allen’s—

“Had I charge of the matter I would not have come,And likewise could I control my going, where could I go?”

“Had I charge of the matter I would not have come,

And likewise could I control my going, where could I go?”

XCV“Thy two soul-devouring angels,” the angels of death and resurrection.

XCV

“Thy two soul-devouring angels,” the angels of death and resurrection.

XCVI“Nubakht,” one of the opponents of the Prophet Mohammed.

XCVI

“Nubakht,” one of the opponents of the Prophet Mohammed.

CIII“Rabbi,” my lord God.

CIII

“Rabbi,” my lord God.

CIV“And like the dead of Ind,” referring to the practice of the Hindus who burn their dead.“Munker” and “Nakir,” the two angels who on the Day of Judgment open the graves of the dead and cross-examine them—the process is said to be very cruel—as to their faith. Whosoever is found wanting in this is pushed back into the grave and thence thrown into Juhannam. No wonder Abu’l-Ala prefers cremation.

CIV

“And like the dead of Ind,” referring to the practice of the Hindus who burn their dead.“Munker” and “Nakir,” the two angels who on the Day of Judgment open the graves of the dead and cross-examine them—the process is said to be very cruel—as to their faith. Whosoever is found wanting in this is pushed back into the grave and thence thrown into Juhannam. No wonder Abu’l-Ala prefers cremation.

“And like the dead of Ind,” referring to the practice of the Hindus who burn their dead.

“Munker” and “Nakir,” the two angels who on the Day of Judgment open the graves of the dead and cross-examine them—the process is said to be very cruel—as to their faith. Whosoever is found wanting in this is pushed back into the grave and thence thrown into Juhannam. No wonder Abu’l-Ala prefers cremation.

CVHe wrote his own epitaph, which is:“This wrong to me was by my father done,But never by me to any one.”

He wrote his own epitaph, which is:“This wrong to me was by my father done,But never by me to any one.”

He wrote his own epitaph, which is:

“This wrong to me was by my father done,But never by me to any one.”

“This wrong to me was by my father done,

But never by me to any one.”

CVI“Izrail,” the angel of death.

CVI

“Izrail,” the angel of death.

CXV,CXVIandCXVIIThese will suggest to the reader Shakespeare’s lines:“ImperialCaesar, dead and turned to clay,Might stop a hole to keep the wind away;O, that that earth, which kept the world in awe,Should stop a wall t’expel the winter’s flaw.”

CXV,CXVIandCXVII

These will suggest to the reader Shakespeare’s lines:“ImperialCaesar, dead and turned to clay,Might stop a hole to keep the wind away;O, that that earth, which kept the world in awe,Should stop a wall t’expel the winter’s flaw.”

These will suggest to the reader Shakespeare’s lines:

“ImperialCaesar, dead and turned to clay,Might stop a hole to keep the wind away;O, that that earth, which kept the world in awe,Should stop a wall t’expel the winter’s flaw.”

“ImperialCaesar, dead and turned to clay,

Might stop a hole to keep the wind away;

O, that that earth, which kept the world in awe,

Should stop a wall t’expel the winter’s flaw.”

CXVIIICompare this with Omar’s:“Thou hast no power over the morrow,And anxiety about the morrow is useless to thee:Waste not thou the moment, if thy heart is not mad,For the value of the remainder of thy life is not certain.”

CXVIII

Compare this with Omar’s:“Thou hast no power over the morrow,And anxiety about the morrow is useless to thee:Waste not thou the moment, if thy heart is not mad,For the value of the remainder of thy life is not certain.”

Compare this with Omar’s:

“Thou hast no power over the morrow,And anxiety about the morrow is useless to thee:Waste not thou the moment, if thy heart is not mad,For the value of the remainder of thy life is not certain.”

“Thou hast no power over the morrow,

And anxiety about the morrow is useless to thee:

Waste not thou the moment, if thy heart is not mad,

For the value of the remainder of thy life is not certain.”

PRESS AND PERSONAL NOTICESMr. Rihani’s book is soundly workmanlike, with adequate scholarship, and is often very felicitous. He has done a real service to modern understanding of an important though slightly known literature in presenting these selections with sufficient annotation.—New York Evening Sun.The Luzumiyat. By Abu’l-Ala. Born in Syria, in the tenth century A. D., this poet, scholar, teacher, philosopher and pessimist became known as “the Voltaire of the East,” and may well be read for the beauty of his work, even if there is little agreement with his general ideas of life.—The Christian Century.Abu’l-Ala is a true poet, with a philosophy much nobler than Omar’s, and Mr. Rihani’s translation has rare poetic qualities.—Edwin Markham.If I had but a garden for a bowerWherein the roses of Damascus flower,How happy, with the Luzumiyat in hand,To pass the afternoon and sunset hour!Clinton Scollard.“The Luzumiyat” of Abu’l-Ala, as rendered into English by Mr. Ameen Rihani, is more than a mere translation—it is excellent poetry. Aside from its interest as a literary curiosity, it possesses intrinsic value as literature of a high quality. The historical matter contained in the preface of the book, as well as the notes following the preface, will appeal to the scholar who makes a study of the best expressions of Oriental thought.—James B. Kenyon.The first English rendition of the Luzumiyat of Abu’l-Ala, comes from Ameen Rihani, the author of the Book of Khaled, who has selected the quatrains from three volumes of the works of the Syrian poet. For those who cling to a childish haze concerning Assyrians and Syrians, we would add that while the Assyrian comes down like a wolf on the fold, the Syrian, at least this particular one, has a tread like Omar Khayyam. Therein lies the chief interest of the Luzumiyat, unfair as it may be, in view of the fact that Abu’l-Ala died at about the time Omar was born. So marked and far-reaching is the resemblance, that we might almost bring ourselves to the belief that in Omar Khayyam was recreated the soul of Abu’l-Ala, with subtle changes, notable among them the casting off of the tenets of prohibition, and a substitution of fatalism for stoicism.—The Sun (New York).What Fitzgerald did for the Man of Neishapur in his wonderful version of the Rubaiyat, Mr. Rihani has done, in scarcely inferior measure, for his own remote ancestor Abu’l-Ala. Mr. Rihani, who is a poet and essayist in English as well as in Arabic, has made a permanent addition to Literature. The Luzumiyat can not be displaced.—Michael Monahan.Mr. Rihani has rendered valuable service to Literature in making the career of “The Lucretius of Islam,” as he happily calls him, known to the general reader in the English-speaking world.... The similarity of the Luzumiyat to Omar Khayyam under certain aspects, should win for Rihani’s brilliant rendering a generous measure of recognition. As it is, the rare merits of the book, the critical power of the preface, the skill and sincere feeling exhibited in the verse, and the wide knowledge of English Literature shown in the notes, make it, to my mind, a little masterpiece.—Percy White.The similarity in some parts of the Luzumiyat to Omar Khayyam is striking. But Abu’l-Ala, to my mind, is a greater poet, and he is at times so remarkably modern. I am glad to make his acquaintance through your excellent translation.—R. B. Cunninghame Graham.There is a compelling power in his attack on hypocrisy and quackery, in his recognition of the supremacy of reason and the human soul. Those who still fondly turn to the “Rubaiyat” for enjoyment will surely find stimulus, too, and pleasure in these ruthless rhymes.—Asia.

PRESS AND PERSONAL NOTICES

Mr. Rihani’s book is soundly workmanlike, with adequate scholarship, and is often very felicitous. He has done a real service to modern understanding of an important though slightly known literature in presenting these selections with sufficient annotation.—New York Evening Sun.The Luzumiyat. By Abu’l-Ala. Born in Syria, in the tenth century A. D., this poet, scholar, teacher, philosopher and pessimist became known as “the Voltaire of the East,” and may well be read for the beauty of his work, even if there is little agreement with his general ideas of life.—The Christian Century.Abu’l-Ala is a true poet, with a philosophy much nobler than Omar’s, and Mr. Rihani’s translation has rare poetic qualities.—Edwin Markham.If I had but a garden for a bowerWherein the roses of Damascus flower,How happy, with the Luzumiyat in hand,To pass the afternoon and sunset hour!Clinton Scollard.“The Luzumiyat” of Abu’l-Ala, as rendered into English by Mr. Ameen Rihani, is more than a mere translation—it is excellent poetry. Aside from its interest as a literary curiosity, it possesses intrinsic value as literature of a high quality. The historical matter contained in the preface of the book, as well as the notes following the preface, will appeal to the scholar who makes a study of the best expressions of Oriental thought.—James B. Kenyon.The first English rendition of the Luzumiyat of Abu’l-Ala, comes from Ameen Rihani, the author of the Book of Khaled, who has selected the quatrains from three volumes of the works of the Syrian poet. For those who cling to a childish haze concerning Assyrians and Syrians, we would add that while the Assyrian comes down like a wolf on the fold, the Syrian, at least this particular one, has a tread like Omar Khayyam. Therein lies the chief interest of the Luzumiyat, unfair as it may be, in view of the fact that Abu’l-Ala died at about the time Omar was born. So marked and far-reaching is the resemblance, that we might almost bring ourselves to the belief that in Omar Khayyam was recreated the soul of Abu’l-Ala, with subtle changes, notable among them the casting off of the tenets of prohibition, and a substitution of fatalism for stoicism.—The Sun (New York).What Fitzgerald did for the Man of Neishapur in his wonderful version of the Rubaiyat, Mr. Rihani has done, in scarcely inferior measure, for his own remote ancestor Abu’l-Ala. Mr. Rihani, who is a poet and essayist in English as well as in Arabic, has made a permanent addition to Literature. The Luzumiyat can not be displaced.—Michael Monahan.Mr. Rihani has rendered valuable service to Literature in making the career of “The Lucretius of Islam,” as he happily calls him, known to the general reader in the English-speaking world.... The similarity of the Luzumiyat to Omar Khayyam under certain aspects, should win for Rihani’s brilliant rendering a generous measure of recognition. As it is, the rare merits of the book, the critical power of the preface, the skill and sincere feeling exhibited in the verse, and the wide knowledge of English Literature shown in the notes, make it, to my mind, a little masterpiece.—Percy White.The similarity in some parts of the Luzumiyat to Omar Khayyam is striking. But Abu’l-Ala, to my mind, is a greater poet, and he is at times so remarkably modern. I am glad to make his acquaintance through your excellent translation.—R. B. Cunninghame Graham.There is a compelling power in his attack on hypocrisy and quackery, in his recognition of the supremacy of reason and the human soul. Those who still fondly turn to the “Rubaiyat” for enjoyment will surely find stimulus, too, and pleasure in these ruthless rhymes.—Asia.

The Luzumiyat. By Abu’l-Ala. Born in Syria, in the tenth century A. D., this poet, scholar, teacher, philosopher and pessimist became known as “the Voltaire of the East,” and may well be read for the beauty of his work, even if there is little agreement with his general ideas of life.—The Christian Century.

Abu’l-Ala is a true poet, with a philosophy much nobler than Omar’s, and Mr. Rihani’s translation has rare poetic qualities.—Edwin Markham.

If I had but a garden for a bowerWherein the roses of Damascus flower,How happy, with the Luzumiyat in hand,To pass the afternoon and sunset hour!

If I had but a garden for a bower

Wherein the roses of Damascus flower,

How happy, with the Luzumiyat in hand,

To pass the afternoon and sunset hour!

Clinton Scollard.

“The Luzumiyat” of Abu’l-Ala, as rendered into English by Mr. Ameen Rihani, is more than a mere translation—it is excellent poetry. Aside from its interest as a literary curiosity, it possesses intrinsic value as literature of a high quality. The historical matter contained in the preface of the book, as well as the notes following the preface, will appeal to the scholar who makes a study of the best expressions of Oriental thought.—James B. Kenyon.

The first English rendition of the Luzumiyat of Abu’l-Ala, comes from Ameen Rihani, the author of the Book of Khaled, who has selected the quatrains from three volumes of the works of the Syrian poet. For those who cling to a childish haze concerning Assyrians and Syrians, we would add that while the Assyrian comes down like a wolf on the fold, the Syrian, at least this particular one, has a tread like Omar Khayyam. Therein lies the chief interest of the Luzumiyat, unfair as it may be, in view of the fact that Abu’l-Ala died at about the time Omar was born. So marked and far-reaching is the resemblance, that we might almost bring ourselves to the belief that in Omar Khayyam was recreated the soul of Abu’l-Ala, with subtle changes, notable among them the casting off of the tenets of prohibition, and a substitution of fatalism for stoicism.—The Sun (New York).

What Fitzgerald did for the Man of Neishapur in his wonderful version of the Rubaiyat, Mr. Rihani has done, in scarcely inferior measure, for his own remote ancestor Abu’l-Ala. Mr. Rihani, who is a poet and essayist in English as well as in Arabic, has made a permanent addition to Literature. The Luzumiyat can not be displaced.—Michael Monahan.

Mr. Rihani has rendered valuable service to Literature in making the career of “The Lucretius of Islam,” as he happily calls him, known to the general reader in the English-speaking world.... The similarity of the Luzumiyat to Omar Khayyam under certain aspects, should win for Rihani’s brilliant rendering a generous measure of recognition. As it is, the rare merits of the book, the critical power of the preface, the skill and sincere feeling exhibited in the verse, and the wide knowledge of English Literature shown in the notes, make it, to my mind, a little masterpiece.—Percy White.

The similarity in some parts of the Luzumiyat to Omar Khayyam is striking. But Abu’l-Ala, to my mind, is a greater poet, and he is at times so remarkably modern. I am glad to make his acquaintance through your excellent translation.—R. B. Cunninghame Graham.

There is a compelling power in his attack on hypocrisy and quackery, in his recognition of the supremacy of reason and the human soul. Those who still fondly turn to the “Rubaiyat” for enjoyment will surely find stimulus, too, and pleasure in these ruthless rhymes.—Asia.

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