With that splendid opening flourish about the ‘Noose of light,’ Edward Fitzgerald leaps into his adaptation of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam with its existentialist philosophy.

This Victorian favourite retains its fascination. Here are some of its salient verses.

from THE RUBAIYAT OF OMAR KHAYYAM

Awake! For Morning in the Bowl of Night

Has flung the stone that puts the stars to Flight:

And Lo! The Hunter of the East has caught

The Sultan’s Turret in a Noose of light.

~

Dreaming when Dawn’s Left Hand was in the Sky

I heard a Voice within the Tavern cry,

‘Awake, my Little ones, and fill the Cup

‘Before Life’s Liquor in its Cup be dry.’

~

And, as the Cock crew, those who stood before

The Tavern shouted – ‘Open then the Door!

‘You know how little while we have to stay,

‘And, once departed, may return no more.’

~

Come, fill the Cup, and in the Fire of Spring

The Winter Garment of Repentance fling:

The Bird of Time has but a little way

To fly – and Lo! the bird is on the Wing.

~

Here with a Loaf of bread beneath the Bough,

A Flask of Wine, a Book of Verse - and Thou

Beside me singing in the Wilderness –

And Wilderness is Paradise enow.

~

But leave the Wise to wrangle, and with me

The Quarrel of the Universe let be:

And, in some corner of the Hubbub coucht,

Make Game of that which makes as much of Thee.

~

The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ,

Moves on: nor all thy piety nor wit

Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line,

Nor all thy Tears wash out a word of it.

~

And that inverted bowl we call The Sky,

Whereunder crawling coop’t we live and die,

Lift not thy hands to It for help – for It

Rolls impotently on as Thou or I.