# XIII explained — The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám

> Chapter companion for The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám by Omar Khayyám.

## What happens

The chapter contrasts worldly glories and religious hopes for paradise, urging the reader to seize present pleasures (the 'Cash') rather than rely on uncertain future promises (the 'Credit'), and to ignore distant warnings.

## Themes in this chapter

### Carpe Diem

The poem explicitly urges taking the 'Cash' (present pleasure) over the 'Credit' (future reward), embodying the carpe diem ethos.

### Skepticism and Doubt

Dismisses the 'distant Drum' of religious or prophetic warnings, suggesting skepticism toward unverifiable promises.

## Character check-ins

### Omar Khayyám

Speaker of the quatrain, advocating for present enjoyment over future hopes.

## Key lines

> Some for the Glories of This World; and some Sigh for the Prophet’s Paradise to come; Ah, take the Cash, and let the Credit go, Nor heed the rumble of a distant Drum!

Some people strive for worldly fame, others long for the afterlife promised by religion; but just take what you can enjoy now and forget about future promises, ignoring any warnings from afar.

_The paraphrase captures the pragmatic, hedonistic advice of the quatrain._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_rub_iy_t_of_omar_khayy_m_se/chapters/xiii
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_rub_iy_t_of_omar_khayy_m_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_rub_iy_t_of_omar_khayy_m_se/chapters