SummerRubaiyat · 67 of 75
Quatrain 67
Quatrain 67 of 75
“Then to the Lip of this poor earthen Urn
I lean'd, the Secret of my Life to learn:
And Lip to Lip it murmur'd—"While you live
Drink!—for, once dead, you never shall return."”
Omar Khayyamtr. Edward FitzGerald, 1859
Reflection · Summer
The urn's secret never changes — while you live, drink, for once dead you never shall return. In summer this secret is at its most practically applicable. Lean'd to the lip of this poor earthen Urn — poor is important. Not a grand vessel, not an ornate one. The plain vessel, the common one, the one that has been used and will be used again. Poor in the sense of unpretentious. The plainest vessels carry the truest messages.
The summer urn's message is summer's message: you are alive. You are here. Drink.