Awake for morning in the bowl of night
has flung the stone that puts the stars to flight.
And lo the hunter of the east has caught
The sultan’s turret in a noose of light.
Omar Khayyam
Awake for morning in the bowl of night
is pouring never ending streams of light
Which emanating from the east has fought
and put the darkness of the night to flight.
The sun displays to every man his might
Has flung the stone that puts the stars to flight
His gifts are given free cannot be bought
or sold by any man. None has the right.
And Lo the hunter from the east has caught
so easily the prey that he has long sought.
The Imam prays but prayers will gain him nought
Because the Sun is stronger than he thought.
The Sultan's turret in a noose of light
Presents newly awakened eyes a sight
each day that comes unbidden and unsought.
Accepted by all men as their birthright.
12-Feb-08
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
This is an exceptional piece of work - your gentle message of a far gone age and the east in a classical form. It is to my shame that I had to think hard about omar khayyam - his translations by fitzergald was reviewed on BBC3 few months back and the wikipedia site gives a hopefully fair account of his contributions and complex relationship to Islam. You have some beaufiful thoughts in here - 'the bowl of night has flung the stone that puts stars to flight' - really wish I had written that one.a poet to be proud of.