Omar Khayyam (136) “The Caravan of Life….”

Juan Cole 06/15/2012

It is amazing how
the caravan of life goes by.
Take a deep breath,
and let it pass cheerfully.
Barkeep, why be sad
about tomorrow’s grief?
Pick up a wine glass,
before the night has fled.

Translated by Juan Cole
from Omar Khayyam’s Rubaiyat, [pdf] Whinfield 136

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