AutumnRubaiyat · 71 of 75
Quatrain 71
Quatrain 71 of 75
“And when Thyself with shining Foot shall pass
Among the Guests Star-scatter'd on the Grass,
And in thy joyous Errand reach the Spot
Where I made one—turn down an empty Glass!”
Omar Khayyamtr. Edward FitzGerald, 1859
Reflection · Autumn
In autumn this verse has arrived at its season. The guests star-scattered on the grass are fewer than they were in spring. Some have already reached the place where they made one, and the empty glasses are already placed. The feast continues. Where I made one — Khayyam is marking his place at the long table of human existence.
Turn down an empty glass. The gesture is simple and exact: a turned-down glass says I was here and I am no longer here and someone who loved me remembered. This is all that can be asked. This is enough.