9 Ordibehesht 1405
Quatrain 35 of 75
“I think the Vessel, that with fugitive
Articulation answer'd, once did live,
And merry-make; and the cold Lip I kiss'd
How many Kisses might it take—and give.”
Reflection · Spring 1405
In spring the vessel is warm — not cold, not yet clay in the way it will one day be. The fugitive articulation of a spring bowl is the quickest, most full of life. The lip is warm. The kisses it takes and gives are exchanges between living things. But Khayyam thinks of this even in spring — not as shadow but as depth. The spring vessel is not less because it will one day be cold. The warmth is earned by the fact of cooling.
How many kisses might it take, how many might it give, before the articulation becomes fugitive and then silent? Spring is the season of maximum kiss-taking and kiss-giving. The clay is warm now. Use it.