Omar Khayyam (143) “Religious zealots are all jackasses”

Juan Cole 06/19/2012

Those religious zealots
are all jackasses, who’re
carrying a burden
of deceit. And
most amazing of all,
under cover
of their self-denial
they sell their religion!
They are worse than
unbelievers any day.

Translated by Juan Cole
from Omar Khayyam’s Rubaiyat, [pdf] Whinfield 143

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