Omar Khayyam (34)

Juan Cole 02/20/2012

Pagan temples and mosques
are all houses of worship.
Ringing church bells
are hymns of worship.
The sacred thread of the Parsee,
the synagogue, the rosary
and the crucifix–
in reality, all
are tokens of servitude
to God.

Translated by Juan Cole
from Whinfield 34.

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