The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám · Chapter
LXI explained
The speaker questions the morality of wine, suggesting that if it is a divine blessing, it should be enjoyed, and if a curse, the responsibility lies with its creator, not the user.
What happens
The speaker questions the morality of wine, suggesting that if it is a divine blessing, it should be enjoyed, and if a curse, the responsibility lies with its creator, not the user.
Themes in this chapter
Hedonism and Wine
The stanza defends the use of wine as a divine gift, challenging moral condemnation.
Skepticism and Doubt
The speaker questions the logic of blaming the user for a curse placed by God, reflecting doubt about conventional morality.
Key passages
“Why, be this Juice the growth of God, who dare Blaspheme the twisted tendril as a Snare? A Blessing, we should use it, should we not? And if a Curse—why, then, Who set it there?”
If wine is created by God, who would dare call it a trap? If it's a blessing, we should enjoy it; if it's a curse, then who put it there?
The speaker uses rhetorical questions to challenge the condemnation of wine, placing responsibility on the divine creator.