Omar Khayyam (149) “nothing left of good times but the name”

Juan Cole 06/21/2012

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Now that nothing is left
of good times but the name;
and save for wine itself,
not a single
old drinking buddy
is around any more;
don’t decline the joy of
the vintage you’re offered,
since today your hand is empty
save for the glass.

Translated by Juan Cole
from Omar Khayyam’s Rubaiyat, [pdf] Whinfield 149

About the Author

Juan Cole is the founder and chief editor of Informed Comment. He is Richard P. Mitchell Professor of History at the University of Michigan He is author of, among many other books, Muhammad: Prophet of Peace amid the Clash of Empires and The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. Follow him on Twitter at @jricole or the Informed Comment Facebook Page