13 Ordibehesht 1405
Quatrain 39 of 75
“How long, how long, in infinite Pursuit
Of This and That endeavour and dispute?
Better be merry with the fruitful Grape
Than sadden after none, or bitter, Fruit.”
Reflection · Spring 1405
The infinite pursuit in spring is at its most energized — every project is new, every This and That is full of possibility. Khayyam asks his how long, how long even here, even in Farvardin, even before the pursuit has had time to prove its bitterness. Better be merry with the fruitful grape — in spring the grape is blossom, the promise of fruit. He is asking only: is the pursuit eating the merriness, or is the merriness eating the pursuit?
None or bitter fruit — these are what the endless pursuit tends to yield. Not because all pursuits are futile but because the infinite variety ensures that most outcomes are either nothing or less than imagined. The fruitful grape asks no such favor of the future. It is fruitful now.