Today whilst looking for something I vaguely remembered from Hafiz, I found this from Omar Khayyam
Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life
Omar Khayyam lived in Nishapur in Iran between 1048 and 1131. That’s a really long time ago. He was writing about something we are rediscovering, and renaming, today - mindfulness.
Omar Khayyam was a mathematician primarily, and he also wrote poetry. Much of his poetry has been translated for those of us who only know English, like me. Edward Fitzgerald published a translation in 1859 of some of the work, and called it the Rubaiyat. That’s still a long time ago!
Having stumbled upon it, I remembered that “The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam” was one of my grandfathers favorite books. He brought it with him when he came to live with us after my grandmother died and he tried to interest me in it.
I was a child at the time and it sounded a very exotic title, but when I opened it, I found that it wasn’t an easy read. So I read enough to have conversations and not enough to internalize it at all
And today it’s back, reminding me of the connection between humans going way back. Not just to family, but to people who lived a long time ago and who’s wisdom speaks very loudly today.
I’ll get back to Hafiz next time!!