The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám · Chapter
XCIX explained
A passionate appeal to Love, imagining a conspiracy with the divine to shatter and remake the flawed scheme of existence according to the heart's true desire.
What happens
A passionate appeal to Love, imagining a conspiracy with the divine to shatter and remake the flawed scheme of existence according to the heart's true desire.
Themes in this chapter
Skepticism and Doubt
The poem questions the inherent order of the world, suggesting it is a 'sorry Scheme' that needs remaking.
The Quest for Meaning
The desire to grasp and re-mold existence reflects a search for a more perfect, meaningful reality.
Characters to notice
- Omar Khayyám
Speaker of the quatrain, expressing a desire to reshape reality with Love.
Key passages
“Ah, Love! could you and I with Him conspire To grasp this sorry Scheme of Things entire, Would not we shatter it to bits—and then Re-mould it nearer to the Heart’s Desire!”
Oh, beloved, if you and I could join forces with God to take hold of this flawed universe completely, wouldn't we break it apart and reshape it to match what our hearts truly long for?
A call to cosmic rebellion, seeking to perfect creation through love and will.