The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám · Chapter
CI explained
The speaker addresses the Sákí, asking that when she passes among the scattered guests in the afterlife, she pause at the spot where he once sat and turn down an empty glass in his memory.
What happens
The speaker addresses the Sákí, asking that when she passes among the scattered guests in the afterlife, she pause at the spot where he once sat and turn down an empty glass in his memory.
Themes in this chapter
Mortality and Transience
The speaker anticipates his own death and asks for a simple memorial gesture, highlighting life's fleeting nature.
Carpe Diem
The request to turn down an empty glass underscores the urgency to seize the moment before it passes.
Characters to notice
- The Súfi
Implied as the speaker addressing the Sákí in a reflective, carpe diem moment.
Key passages
“And when like her, oh, Sákí, you shall pass Among the Guests Star-scatter’d on the Grass, And in your Joyous errand reach the spot Where I made One—turn down an empty Glass!”
And when, like the beloved, you pass among the guests scattered like stars on the grass, and on your joyful journey you reach the place where I once sat, please turn down an empty glass in my memory.
The speaker imagines a future moment after his death, asking the Sákí to honor him with a simple gesture.