19 Mehr 1405
Quatrain 48 of 75
“While the Rose blows along the River Brink,
With old Khayyam the Ruby Vintage drink:
And when the Angel with his darker Draught
Draws up to thee—take that, and do not shrink.”
Reflection · Autumn 1405
The rose on the river brink in autumn is the last rose — past its peak, the petals loosening, the color more burgundy than ruby. The vintage being drunk is the autumn vintage, complex and serious. And the darker draught is closer. Take that, and do not shrink. In autumn this instruction acquires its full weight.
Khayyam's instruction is not resignation; it is courage in the exact form courage is available: the willingness to take what is offered without flinching. While the rose blows — it is still blowing, in autumn, barely. Drink the ruby vintage now, with full attention, with Khayyam beside you.