Quatrain 56
Quatrain 56 of 75
“And this I know: whether the one True Light,
Kindle to Love, or Wrath consume me quite,
One Glimpse of It within the Tavern caught
Better than in the Temple lost outright.”
Reflection · Spring
Whether the one True Light is love or wrath — whether the universe regards you with warmth or consumes you with indifference — the glimpse caught in the Tavern is better than the loss in the Temple. Khayyam is making a specific claim: in the present, sensual, wine-present world, something divine can be glimpsed more readily than in the formal religious space. One Glimpse of It within the Tavern — not a full revelation, not a permanent vision. Just a glimpse. And this I know. Not: this I hope.
In spring the glimpse is available everywhere the Light is, and spring scatters the Light across everything.