The Rubaiyat: Quatrain XXX

This is Quatrain XXX, from the First Edition of the Rubaiyat, as seen by Edward FitzGerald. The Second and Fifth versions of this quatrain are also presented. It is the last of a series of four linked quatrains which includes XXVII, XXVIII, XXIX, and XXX, in the First Edition. The quatrain numbers are slightly different for the Second and Fifth Editions.



First Edition: Quatrain XXX

What, without asking, hither hurried whence?
And, without asking, whither hurried hence!
Another and another Cup to drown
The Memory of this Impertinence!




Second Edition: Quatrain XXXIII

What, without asking, hither hurried Whence?
And, without asking, Whither hurried hence!
Ah! contrite Heav'n endowed us with the Vine
To drug the memory of that insolence!



Fifth Edition: Quatrain XXX

What, without asking, hither hurried Whence?
And, without asking, Whither hurried hence!
Oh, many a Cup of this forbidden Wine
Must drown the memory of that insolence!


While it's not one of my favorite quatrains, it is one of the most intriguing, especially the last two lines which I find very startling.


The first two lines have only minimal differences: a change from a lower case "w" for whence and whither in the first edition to an upper case "W" in the second and fifth editions. In all three versions, FitzGerald links this quatrain back to the previous quatrain by playing with the words "whither" and "whence." Moreover, he brings in two new but related words simply by dropping the "w" from each of them: "whither" becomes "hither" and "whence" becomes "hence." FitzGerald then plays with the possibilities of that "w" by switching between whence and hence and whither and hither in the first two lines of the quatrain.

The first line can be read as follows: We are hurried here from some place without being asked--we are puppets. The second line follows up by pointing out that we are being hurried from here to some unknown place, again without being asked. This is very similar to the previous quatrain.

One can only wonder if our unknown destination is the same as our origin. Taoists accept the idea that our unknown place of origin is the same as our destination for it is written in the Tao Te Ching that all creatures come from the Tao and return to the Tao.


It is the last two lines of the quatrain that are the most interesting.

1st Edition
Another and another Cup to drown
The Memory of this Impertinence!

2nd Edition
Ah! contrite Heav'n endowed us with the Vine
To drug the memory of that insolence!


5th Edition
Oh, many a Cup of this forbidden Wine
Must drown the memory of that insolence!


Although the three versions are worded differently, three elements remain constant throughout. The first is the reference to wine (1), which is needed to either drown out certain memories or at least drug the memory (2) of the way humanity is treated, and the rather harsh criticism (3) of the one who is responsible for the human predicament.

In the first and fifth editions, the poet tells us that wine is necessary to drown out the memory of the way we are treated, while the second suggests that Heav'n regrets having treated us in this way and gives us wine to help us forget.

It seems surprising to find a reference to God's behavior as insolent or impertinent when one considers the way humans are treated, but I can see no other interpretation for the last two lines of the quatrain. I have heard the Deity referred to as just, merciful, kind, or compassionate, but never, up to now, as insolent or impertinent. The poet insists that something is wrong with the human situation in that we come from some unknown place and eventually leave for another unknown place, and what is worse, we are placed in this position without being asked--willy-nilly, according to the previous quatrain.

In some interpretations, the writer argues that wine is not really wine, since the Moslems cannot drink alcohol. Therefore, the wine is symbolic of God's grace or assistance. I think these three versions make that an extremely difficult interpretation to defend, especially in the 5th edition which refers clearly to "forbidden Wine." That sounds to me that Khayyam is referring to wine, which is forbidden, and not to God's grace. Why is God's grace forbidden?

From what I've read, "wine" is in original version by Khayyam and not something added by FitzGerald. All the commentaries that I've read accept the presence of wine in the text--it is the interpretation or meaning of wine that is controversial.