Omar Khayyam (92)

Juan Cole 03/24/2012

The sky is a belt
woven from our tattered lives.
The mighty river was formed
by all the tears
our eyes have shed.
Hell is a spark from our
searing pain.
Heaven is a breath
drawn from our
moments of peace.

Translated by Juan Cole
from [pdf] Whinfield 92

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