Poetry Chaikhana
Sacred Poetry from Around the World

Muslim / Sufi

11th Century

About Omar Khayyam

Timeline (11th Century)

Omar Khayyam, Omar Khayyam poetry, Muslim / Sufi, Muslim / Sufi poetry, poetry, [TRADITION SUB2] poetry, poetry

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English version by
Edward FitzGerald

Original Language
Persian/Farsi

[66] So while the Vessels one by one were speaking,

Commentary by Paramahansa Yogananda

Recommended Books

	The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, by Omar Khayyam / Translated by Edward FitzGerald
	The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, by Omar Khayyam / Translated by Peter Avery
	The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam (Illustrated Edition), by Omar Khayyam / Translated by Edward FitzGerald
	The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam Explained, by Paramhansa Yogananda / Edited by J. Donald Walters (Kriyananda)
	The Sufism of the Rubaiyat or the Secret of the Great Paradox, by Norton F. W. Hazeldine

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So while the Vessels one by one were speaking,
One spied the little Crescent all were seeking:
And then they jogg'd each other, "Brother! Brother!
"Hark to the Porter's Shoulder-knot a-creaking!"

-- from The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, by Omar Khayyam / Translated by Edward FitzGerald

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Commentary by Paramahansa Yogananda

With this quatrain from the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, instead of my own commentary I'll offer an excerpt of the interpretation given by Paramahansa Yogananda. This gives us an interesting, kaleidoscopic view of the poetry of Omar Khayyam: These are verses written by a Muslim Sufi, translated by a British Christian, and here interpreted by a Hindu Yogi...

"While each soul-awakened devotee expressed his wisdom thoughts, one among them with deeper perception than the rest perceived a marvel all of them were seeking: the 'little Crescent,' or third eye of wisdom, hidden in the forehead -- the all-seeing eye of divine wakefulness.

"When the others learned of his experience, they understood what he had found: the long-sought gateway to Truth. Then to one another they exclaimed enthusiastically, 'Brother! Brother! Let us, too, gaze through this soul-window. And let us listen to the Sound that reverberates through the universe. Hark! Our souls vibrate with the great symphony of Life emanating from the all-pervading Music of Creation."

-- Paramahansa Yogananda, from The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam Explained, Edited by J. Donald Walters

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Poetry Chaikhana Sacred Poetry from Around the World

About Omar Khayyam

Poetry Chaikhana
Sacred Poetry from Around the World