Yet More Persian Wisdom

The Rubâ'iyât attributed to Omar Khayyám, is said to be in fact a collection of writings probably from Khayyám's time (12th century) to around the 17th century.

And as we know them they were of course the wonderful work of Edward Fitzgerald, who appears in places to have contributed a few lines of his own; he was entitled to: he was a genius.

So I wonder which wise man wrote the following stunningly beautiful and tear-inducing lines?

LXXIII

Ah Love! could thou and I with Fate 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!

Until the next time.

Another Gem from Persia

XXXII

There was a Door to which I found no Key:
 There was a Veil past which I could not see:
 Some little Talk awhile of ME and THEE
 There seemed---and then no more of THEE and ME.

Some more another day. 

Until the next time 

Exotic Experience

This afternoon, having as usual, very little to do and the weather being fine, I strolled across a local park. There was a patch of ground, normally grass, that had been dug over - presumably by contractors in the process of some project or other, as there were various types of plant and machinery parked around.

Wearing old shoes and for no reason at all, I decided to walk over the bare earth that had been turned over.  Somewhere in the middle, I stumbled over something hard; cursing, I looked down expecting to see a stone or a brick but instead found a metal object.  This I picked up, and found it to be an ancient brass lamp of Roman (or perhaps Arabic) pattern. Inevitably I rubbed away some of the damp earth that was clinging to it and inevitably again was astounded to observe the appearance of a small and emaciated genie.

The genie (as genies do) then spoke: "Thank you" he said, "You have released me from more than 2000 years of captivity; I was imprisoned when quite young hence my diminutive stature.  My powers are limited, but in gratitude I will try to grant you the fulfilment of two of your wishes." Unsurprisingly, I was very happy about this, but the genie made it clear that I must be very, very quick about it.

I asked that SHE would come to her senses and restore herself to me.  The genie thought for a while and said "I am terribly sorry, but as I said, I have only limited powers, I am unable to grant you this wish - and further, can grant you only one more."

So I said, "Then please let me die in my sleep; grant me oblivion." At which point he disappeared.

One lives in hope of course.