For years I’ve loved to recite Omar Khayyam (1048-113 as translated by the master Victorian wordsong writer Edward FitzGerald. “Myself, when young, did eagerly frequent / Doctor and sage…” I owe the Persian poet two things: (1) a gently melancholy but likeable skepticism which at the same time says ‘Enjoy the moment!” and (2) a beautiful verse form with rhyme patter AABA. 

Pp. 14-15 show how I tried to “improve” the Omar four-line stanza. P. 17 show how I started to interbreed the Omar stanza with model-quatrains I learned from the ancient Greeks and Romans. The beauty of form and the commonsense cheerfulness of my mood always seemed to be carrying on Omar’s legacy as he might have liked. Now let me show you some fruits of my Omar-pilgrimage:

(1) The game of tag, rewakened, spring = open the door, and write.

(2) A Shakespeare Episode = write up the play you’ve just read.

(3) Who sing become what they proclaim = daily life recalls Sufi tradition.

(4) Do I need to surrender to sleep? Will my dreaming = rhythm of thought.

(40) E-mail to Lucy – and replies from two German “almanac” poets.

(46) Jotted Rubaiyat – and a world of dying-god myths (blogatelle 46)

(51) Moon Guardian Steadfast of the Way – Korean music on the shamisen

(68) That wine’s a problem I’m aware – personality portrait of Persian poet Hafiz

(77) A Prayer of Love – simple Omar-style quatrain with simple Omar-type reply