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		<title>Omar Khayyam -- Rubáiyát [رباعیات] [tr. Whinfield (1882), # 204]</title>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 20 Sep 2024 16:14:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dave</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[Blame not this ball, impelled by bat&#8217;s hard blows, That now to right and now to left it goes, That One who wields the bat and smites the strokes He knows what drives thee, yea He knows, He knows. This metaphor of life as a polo game appears in some translations of the Rubaiyat (particularly [&#8230;]]]></description>
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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Blame not this ball, impelled by bat&#8217;s hard blows,<br />
That now to right and now to left it goes,<br />
<span class="tab">That One who wields the bat and smites the strokes<br />
He knows what drives thee, yea He knows, He knows.</span></p>
<br><b>Omar Khayyám </b> (1048-1123) Persian poet, mathematician, philosopher, astronomer [عمر خیام]<br><i>Rubáiyát</i> [رباعیات] [tr. Whinfield (1882), # 204] 
									<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(<a href="https://archive.org/details/rubaiyatofomarkh01omar/page/136/mode/2up?q=%22Blame+not+this+ball%22" target="_blank">Source</a>)
										<br><br><span class="cite">
						

This metaphor of life as a polo game appears in some translations of the Rubaiyat (particularly FitzGerald), but not in the Bodleian manuscript.<br><br>

Alternate translations:<br><br>

<blockquote>The Ball no Question makes of Ayes and Noes,<br>
But Right or Left as strikes the Player goes;<br>
<span class="tab">And He that toss'd Thee down into the Field,<br>
He knows about it all -- He knows -- HE knows!<br>
[tr. <a href="https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Rubaiyat_of_Omar_Khayyam_(tr._Fitzgerald,_1st_edition)/The_Rubaiyat_of_Omar_Khayyam#:~:text=The%20Ball%20no,knows%E2%80%94HE%20knows!">FitzGerald</a>, 1st ed. (1859), # 50]</blockquote><br>

<blockquote>The Ball no Question makes of Ayes and Noes,<br>
But Right or Left as strikes the Player goes;<br>
<span class="tab">And He that toss'd you down into the Field,<br>
He knows about it all -- HE knows -- HE knows!<br>
[tr. <a href="https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Rubaiyat_of_Omar_Khayyam_(tr._Fitzgerald,_2nd_edition)#:~:text=The%20Ball%20no%20Question%20makes%20of%20Ayes%20and%20Noes%2C%0ABut%20Right%20or%20Left%20as%20strikes%20the%20Player%20goes%3B%0AAnd%20He%20that%20toss%27d%20you%20down%20into%20the%20Field%2C%0AHe%20knows%20about%20it%20all%2D%2DHE%20knows%2D%2DHE%20knows!">FitzGerald, 2nd ed.</a> (1868), # 75; <a href="https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Rubaiyat_of_Omar_Khayyam_(tr._Fitzgerald,_3rd_edition)#:~:text=The%20Ball%20no%20question%20makes%20of%20Ayes%20and%20Noes%2C%0ABut%20Right%20or%20Left%20as%20strikes%20the%20Player%20goes%3B%0AAnd%20He%20that%20toss%27d%20you%20down%20into%20the%20Field%2C%0AHe%20knows%20about%20it%20all%2D%2DHE%20knows%2D%2DHE%20knows!">3rd ed.</a> (1872), <a href="https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Rubaiyat_of_Omar_Khayyam_(tr._Fitzgerald,_4th_edition)#:~:text=The%20Ball%20no%20question%20makes%20of%20Ayes%20and%20Noes%2C%0A%C2%A0But%20Here%20or%20There%20as%20strikes%20the%20Player%20goes%3B%0A%C2%A0%C2%A0%C2%A0And%20He%20that%20toss%27d%20you%20down%20into%20the%20Field%2C%0A%C2%A0He%20knows%20about%20it%20all%2D%2DHE%20knows%2D%2DHE%20knows!">4th ed.</a> (1879), <a href="https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Rubaiyat_of_Omar_Khayyam_(tr._Fitzgerald,_5th_edition)#:~:text=%C2%A0The%20Ball%20no%20question%20makes%20of%20Ayes%20and%20Noes%2C%0A%C2%A0But%20Here%20or%20There%20as%20strikes%20the%20Player%20goes%3B%0A%C2%A0%C2%A0%C2%A0And%20He%20that%20toss%27d%20you%20down%20into%20the%20Field%2C%0A%C2%A0He%20knows%20about%20it%20all%2D%2DHE%20knows%2D%2DHE%20knows!">5th ed.</a> (1889 ed.), # 70]</blockquote><br>

<blockquote>Man, like a ball, hither and thither goes,<br>
As fate's resistless bat directs the blows;<br>
<span class="tab">But He, who gives thee up to this rude sport,<br>
He knows what drives thee, yea, He knows, He knows!<br>
[tr. <a href="https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Quatrains_of_Omar_Khayyam_(tr._Whinfield,_1883)/Quatrains_401-500#:~:text=Man%2C%20like%20a%20ball%2C%20hither%20and%20thither%20goes%2C%0AAs%20fate%27s%20resistless%20bat%20directs%20the%20blows%3B%0A%C2%A0%C2%A0%C2%A0%C2%A0But%20He%2C%20who%20gives%20thee%20up%20to%20this%20rude%20sport%2C%0AHe%20knows%20what%20drives%20thee%2C%20yea%2C%20He%20knows%2C%20He%20knows!">Whinfield</a> (1883), # 401]</blockquote><br>

<blockquote>Oh thou who art driven like a ball, by the bat of<br>
Fate, go to the right or left -- drink wine and say<br>
<span class="tab">nothing, for that One who flung thee into the <i>run<br>
and search</i> (mêlée) he knows, he knows, he knows, he -- .<br>
[tr. <a href="https://archive.org/details/rubaiyatofomarkh01omar/page/136/mode/2up?q=%22Oh+thou+who+art+driven%22">Garner</a> (1895 ms)]</blockquote><br>

<blockquote>O thou who art gone to the club of fate like a ball!<br>
Go to the left and to the right; but say nothing;<br>
<span class="tab">For He that threw thee down amidst the galloping,<br>
He knows, and He knows, and He knows, and He --<br>
[tr. <a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/Omar_Khayy%C3%A1m/YkMiEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=%22o%20thou%20who%20art%20gone%22">Rodwell</a> (1931) # 50/70]</blockquote><br>



<blockquote>Poor ball, struck by Fate's heavy polo-mallet,<br>
Running whichever way it drives you, numbed<br>
Of sense, though He who set you on your course,<br>
He knows, He knows, He knows.<br>
[tr. <a href="https://archive.org/details/originalrubaiyya00omar/page/66/mode/2up?q=%2274+poor+ball%22">Graves & Ali-Shah</a> (1967), # 74]</blockquote><br>

  


<blockquote>Whirling like a ball before the mallet of Fate, go running to right and left, and say nothing; for he that hurled thee into the chase, He knows, and He knows, and He knows!<br>
[tr. <a href="https://archive.org/details/isbn_0856680389/page/86/mode/2up?q=%22whirling+like%22">Bowen</a> (1976), # 43]</blockquote><br>

<blockquote>Do not despair because to left and right<br>
Fate drives you onward with his ballet-blows,<br>
<span class="tab">For He who flung you out into the fray,<br>
He knows the game's technique -- He knows, He knows.<br>
[tr. <a href="https://archive.org/details/isbn_0856680389/page/86/mode/2up?q=%22fate+drives+you+onward+%22">Bowen</a> (1976), # 43]</blockquote><br>

<blockquote>In the cosmic game of polo you are the ball<br>
The mallet’s left and right becomes your call<br>
<span class="tab">He who causes your movements, your rise and fall<br>
He is the one, the only one, who knows it all.<br>
[tr. <a href="https://www.okonlife.com/poems/page5.htm#:~:text=In%20the%20cosmic%20game%20of%20polo%20you%20are%20the%20ball%0AThe%20mallet%E2%80%99s%20left%20and%20right%20becomes%20your%20call%0AHe%20who%20causes%20your%20movements%2C%20your%20rise%20and%20fall%0AHe%20is%20the%20one%2C%20the%20only%20one%2C%20who%20knows%20it%20all.">Shahriari</a> (1998), literal]</blockquote><br>

<blockquote>In the cosmic there is a flow<br>
To which you must submit and bow<br>
And though you act in this show<br>
And seem to move to and fro<br>
The plot you’ll never get to know<br>
The only way you get to grow<br>
Align yourself with this flow.<br>
[tr. <a href="https://www.okonlife.com/poems/page5.htm#:~:text=In%20the%20cosmic%20there%20is%20a%20flow%0ATo%20which%20you%20must%20submit%20and%20bow%0AAnd%20though%20you%20act%20in%20this%20show%0AAnd%20seem%20to%20move%20to%20and%20fro%0AThe%20plot%20you%E2%80%99ll%20never%20get%20to%20know%0AThe%20only%20way%20you%20get%20to%20grow%0AAlign%20yourself%20with%20this%20flow.">Shahriari</a> (1998), figurative]</blockquote><br>						</span>
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