Poetry Chaikhana Sacred Poetry from Around the World

Muslim / Sufi 11th Century	About Omar Khayyam Timeline (11th Century)
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English version by Edward FitzGerald Original Language Persian/Farsi	[74] Ah, Moon of my Delight who know'st no wane,
Commentary by Ivan M. Granger Themes   Bliss   Garden   Moon       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 More >>	Ah, Moon of my Delight who know'st no wane, The Moon of Heav'n is rising once again:      How oft hereafter rising shall she look Through this same Garden after me -- in vain!     -- from The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, by Omar Khayyam / Translated by Edward FitzGerald Amazon.com
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Commentary by Ivan M. Granger

In this quatrain, Khayyam speaks of the moon that does not wane.

The state of mystical realization reveals itself as a shining light, as a luminescence permeating the still field of the mind. There is a sense of light from an undefined "above," silence, a fullness of vitality, and deep rest.

Sacred poets throughout the world often use the metaphor of the full moon in the night sky to describe this. The full moon is the soft light that illumines the land below when all is at rest.

Khayyam also has the enigmatic line suggesting that this moon will look for him in vain. This is a reference to the sense that the individual self -- the little self or the ego -- disappears in the light of illumination. The moon rises, it shines, but there is no "you" to be found within that light.

Ivan M. Granger's original poetry, stories and commentaries are Copyright © 2002 - 2008 by Ivan M. Granger.
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