Omar Khayyam:
If you
are drunk
from the wine,
Khayyam,
rejoice!
If you
are sitting
with a radiant
moon-faced beauty,
rejoice!
Since the end
of the world’s affair
is non-existence,
imagine yourself
to be non-existent!
Then,
since you exist,
rejoice!
(Translated by A. Godlas, Sept. 18, 2016)
Listen to Shajarian’s rendition of this quatrain with Oud accompanimenthttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LP4h2u02Uyo . The quatrain starts at about the 1:19 second mark.
Shajaian’s is one of Iran’s premier vocalists for classical Persian music.
The same recording can be found here at the 12:20 mark, preceded by other quatrains of Khayyam. The traditional Persian miniatures in the accompanying slideshow are marvelous.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RL5y0IQwZK0
خیام اگر ز باده مستی خوش باش
با ماهرخی اگر نشستی خوش باش
چون عاقبت کار جهان نیستی است
انگار که نیستی چو هستی خوش باش
I’ve gotten permission from Dr. Alan Godlas (Abdul Haqq), who is a professor at the University of Georgia for Islamic and Sufi studies, to repost his Facebook postings on Islam and Sufism. All translations are done by Abdul Haqq Godlas unless otherwise noted.