Omar Khayyam (312) “let’s not fret about tomorrow’s grief”

Juan Cole 07/22/2012

Old friend, come on and let’s not fret
about tomorrow’s grief today;
let’s spend this instant’s cash in hand–
because tomorrow when we pass
away from this decrepit bar
we’ll be laid out with those who left
it seven thousand years ago.

Translated by Juan Cole
from Omar Khayyam’s Rubaiyat, [pdf] Whinfield 312

About the Author

Juan Cole is the founder and chief editor of Informed Comment and 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. Follow him at @jricole.