Omar Khayyam (104)

Juan Cole 04/22/2012

Every place you see
a rose or red tulip,
they are tinted by the blood
of a fallen king.
Every violet petal
that falls to the ground
was a mole on the face
of a stunning beauty.

Translated by Juan Cole
from [pdf] Whinfield 104

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