31 Khordad 1405
Quatrain 12 of 75
“"How sweet is mortal Sovranty!"—think some:
Others—"How blest the Paradise to come!"
Ah, take the Cash in hand and waive the Rest;
Oh, the brave Music of a distant Drum!”
Reflection · Spring 1405
Spring is the season of the distant drum — the season of plans and campaigns and things that will be wonderful once they are achieved. The whole world in Farvardin is organized around future arrival. And Khayyam says: also, look at what is in your hand right now. The cash in hand in spring is extraordinary — the coolness of the morning air, the specific green of new leaves, the feeling of a year just beginning. This is the actual cash. The paradise to come and the mortal sovereignty to be achieved are the distant drum.
The brave Music of a distant Drum is brave partly because it requires you to stop hearing the quiet music of the present. What Khayyam is not saying is: settle for less. He is saying: you already have more than you think. The drum calls you away from the cash toward glory that is always a few campaigns distant. Take the cash. Spend it here.